TGIF

The announcement came this week that Rogie Vachon had been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

I had tears in my eyes as I joyously posted the news on social media.

It drew the expected yawn from most, but it was a big deal to me.

You see, Vachon taught me something very important.

I was 15 and I had never been more than 50 miles from home, had never crossed the state border.

 

The tallest building I had ever seen was the five story whorehouse/hotel in downtown Medford.

(I had never been inside, though it was also acclaimed as a steakhouse…)

Now, I was standing outside the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, California waiting for my hero, Vachon to appear.

Standing next to me was the radio voice of the Los Angeles Kings, Bob Miller.

A week before I would have considered such a scene improbable at best, and virtually impossible except in a young mans dreams.

I had “met” Miller as we were at the common urinal at the Forum…when I realized who it was I stammered out a request for an autograph.

“Perhaps when we’re finished”, he graciously answered.

When we finished, he signed my game program and asked where I was from.

He could tell I wasn’t from LA…

He told me where to go after the game to wait for the players…I didn’t know he would wait there with me.

As each King came out he would introduce me…” this is Michael from Oregon…Michael, meet Dan Corrigan…and Whitey Widing…and Danny Maloney”…and on and on.

Finally, the one we all had been waiting for came out… “Rogie…Michael came here from Oregon”…I went deaf after that.

I handed the program to Vachon to sign and my pen ran out of ink half way through…he saw me panic, smiled, and took from his suit pocket the most elegant silver pen I had ever seen.

He finished signing the program, autographed a puck for me, then handed me the pen.

“They may be someone else you want to sign…you’ll need this”.

He then moved on to the rest and was still signing when we finally left.

I told you all that to tell you this…

My friends asked me what I thought of this magical night…and what I thought I had learned was that all things are possible…

I lived from that moment on believing that no matter how improbable something was, all things are possible.

I learned later in life that God agreed with me…

However…

What I should say is that I lived that way, believing that truth…until I turned about 50.

Then the belief changed to all things were possible.

Back then…back before age and affliction started robbing my vitality of body and spirit…back then, all things were possible.

Those days are gone.

The possibilities are limited now.

That is a lie from the pit of hell.

If you belong to God, then as long as you’re breathing, all things are possible in Him and through Him.

The dreams will be different, the goals more fluid…but if He’s called you to do or be something, then you will be and do those things.

The enemy wants you to believe it’s over.

The Lord may say we’re just getting started.

The end of things may be greater than the beginning…

I wrote this for me, more than for you.

Congratulations and God bless you, Rogie.

Make your own application…