My Sailing for Souls Adventure
February 19, 2012
One day I am going to buy a sailboat and name it the Phone, so when people call the office my secretary will say, “He’s not available right now, he’s on the Phone.” The way I speak of sailing some might think my experiences are numerous. Not so…my sailing adventures total, uhhm…one. Many years ago now (approximately 22 yrs) while I was pastoring in Australia, a man in my church invited me to go sailing. The forty foot steel yacht belonged to his dad, who by the way was not saved. He told me of his master plan. “I figured you could witness to him while on board,” he said, “After all, where could he go?” About two and a half hours south of Sydney on the south coast of New South Wales is a pristine, Caribbean looking body of water called Jarvis Bay. The sleek vessel sat offshore and had to be boarded by use of an inflatable raft. Once on board I was given a tour of the magnificent craft by its’ owner/captain along with instructions, “Everybody works on a sailboat,” I was told. “Fair enough,” I replied and picked up a scrub brush. The captain announced, “We’ll begin by motoring around the bay,” and then added, “The weather report said a Nor’easter was expected about noon.” In between cleaning the galley and swabbing the deck I had a chance to sit and talk with the captain. He was a hardened, successful business man who proved a very difficult soul to catch. He was a man of logic and reason who struggled with saving faith. As we putted around with sagging sails hoisted, waiting on the wind, I tried every possible way to bring my new friend to Christ. Then suddenly (I can still hear the sound) those sails popped as they filled with the long awaited wind. The engine was cut and the heavy steel hull lifted high in the water and began skimming across the surface like a smooth rock tossed across a flat lake. The report was accurate and the power to drive the boat to her destination had arrived. It made for a fitting illustration of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the accuracy of the Bible’s report, but sadly to no avail. It was one of the most memorable days of my life, but perhaps not for reasons you might think. I will never forget the grace of the dolphins as they bumped our boat as we sailed or the beauty of the bay itself. Nor will I ever get over the rush I felt when those sails filled with air or the thrill of holding the helm. But that day will always be remembered as the day another lost soul got away.
Fisherman Dave
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