[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I do not know if his records still stand, but, at one time, Paul Anderson was considered the strongest man in the world. He won a gold medal in the heavyweight division of the weight lifting competition in the 1952 Olympics. At that time, the Russians were dominant in the sport. His triumphal efforts set new records in the dead lift, the bench press and the squat. He was called a freak of nature by the Russian press.
In thinking about his designation as a freak, I consider him a freak of spiritual strength. Upon coming home to Georgia, he settled in Vidalia. He founded the Paul Anderson Youth Home for Boys. Through his efforts and the support of many, his magnificent desire to rehabilitate boys into strong Christian men became a reality.
It was my privilege to serve on his board of directors and to enjoy a personal friendship with him. It was not unusual to sit under the shade of a giant pecan tree in his yard and watch him work out with weights of outrageous pounds.
Paul Anderson came to Thomasville during my tenure as pastor of First Baptist Church. He spoke to our brotherhood. He shared his testimony and then did some feats of strength. I will never forget one very impressive lift was to allow eight big men to sit on a specially constructed table. He got under the table, put his back and shoulders against it and raised up 2,000 lbs. on his back.
As stunning as his physical strength was, his love for God and people was even stronger. He could have parlayed his physical power into many lucrative enterprises but he gave it all to God and God used him to change the world one life at a time.
He made our world a better place for us all.
In thinking about his designation as a freak, I consider him a freak of spiritual strength. Upon coming home to Georgia, he settled in Vidalia. He founded the Paul Anderson Youth Home for Boys. Through his efforts and the support of many, his magnificent desire to rehabilitate boys into strong Christian men became a reality.
It was my privilege to serve on his board of directors and to enjoy a personal friendship with him. It was not unusual to sit under the shade of a giant pecan tree in his yard and watch him work out with weights of outrageous pounds.
Paul Anderson came to Thomasville during my tenure as pastor of First Baptist Church. He spoke to our brotherhood. He shared his testimony and then did some feats of strength. I will never forget one very impressive lift was to allow eight big men to sit on a specially constructed table. He got under the table, put his back and shoulders against it and raised up 2,000 lbs. on his back.
As stunning as his physical strength was, his love for God and people was even stronger. He could have parlayed his physical power into many lucrative enterprises but he gave it all to God and God used him to change the world one life at a time.
He made our world a better place for us all.
Reposted from the Thomasville Times Enterprise, 02/04/2016, By Rev. Milton Gardner.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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