Paul Henderson Message

Today I had the opportunity to listen to Paul Henderson speak about a variety of issues; including the 1972 Summit Series where he scored the greatest goal in Canadian hockey history, his current battle with cancer and how his relationship with God has impacted all areas of his life.  I was very excited to hear him speak, but I gotta say, I didn't expect to be inspired like I was. 

The thing he spoke most about was how thankful he is for his relationship with God.  He was not always a Christian.  It wasn't until 1975 that he decided to follow Jesus.  Because of this he said that he has had the opportunity to live on "both sides of the fence".  He mentioned that there is not much that this world has to offer that he has not experienced in some way shape or form.  With that, he said that he can therefore speak to what it is like to live as a Christian, obtaining fulfillment through God and His ways, and what it is like to seek fulfillment from the things of this world.  He followed this up by stating that he can honestly say that 100% of the time, since becoming a Christian, he has never regretted living for God.  He made it clear that he hasn't always felt like doing things God's way, but he has always been glad when he does.  At the same time, he said that he has 100% of the time always regretted the times when he has messed up and made mistakes because he has failed to do things God's way.  I appreciate what he's saying here, and although I have been a Christian most of my life, I feel the same as him.  It wasn't until after high school that I started getting serious about living the life that God wants for us to live, and since that time, I have always found myself to be most fulfilled when I am seeking after God and striving to obey Him, learn more about Him, and become more like Him through continual relationship with Him.  When people ask me how I know God to be true, I often come back to this point.  I cannot deny these experiences, and I can't see me feeling those ways if God was not real.  As Paul Henderson put it today, we have a God Who created us, Who loves us, and Who knows what's best for us.  It is for this reason that when we accept Him as Savior and Lord, build a relationship with Him and do things His way, we are able to experience true fullfillment and joy - the fullfillment and joy that God wants so desperately for us all to have, and invites each of us to have.  I find it sad that so many people choose to deny Christ and therefore never get to experience this.

Paul also spoke today about the love that he has for his wife Eleanor.  He spoke about how he has always been so in love with her, and that he loves her more now than he ever has.  He said, "When new love becomes old love, that's the best type of love".  I was so encouraged to hear this.  I love my wife Bryane more and more every day, and to hear from someone older that the love that develops as a result of this is "the best kind of love", is excting.  I can't say I am surprised,but it confirms my expectations and fuels my tremendous excitement to spend my life with my beautiful soulmate.

He then went in to speak about his cancer.  He is currently battling a form of Leukemia with no known cure.  Most people would be devestated by such news, but not Paul Henderson.  It was incredibly inspiring to hear him speak about how he is actually thankful in some ways that he developed cancer.  He said that having cancer has, "Allowed me to seperate that which is important and that which is trivial very easily," and that it has also, "Allowed me to experience a greater sense of intimacy with God".  Upon hearing him say these things, I couldn't help but think that I want to live these ways.  I don't want to develop a life-threatening illness, but I do want to live every day with the same attitude as one who is "living like they are dying".  After all, only God knows when we will leave this world, and so I want to make the most of every day that I am given to live for Christ and further His Kingdom and purposes here on earth - all for His glory and honor.  I want to experience the greatest sense of intimacy that I possibly can with my Lord and Savior, and living with this attitude will assist me in this.