We left the thirty-seven foot sloop anchored in a sheltered cove and, and my friend, Wayne, and I set out for a nearby island in the tender – a twelve foot dinghy. We had touched seven or eight of the islands in the British Virgin Islands in the previous week, but wanted to explore an island we had left behind in our haste to make anchor before dark. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon, and all was well -- for the first half hour. Then the little Seagull stopped suddenly and without warning. We were drifting in the gentle swell. Nothing is a quiet as an outboard engine when it stops suddenly. We checked the fuel, the spark plug, the gas line. We pulled the rope starter until our arms were sore. No luck. We drifted near a rock outcropping. I whipped the rope around the rock and tied it to keep us from drifting further.
It was then that we noticed the clouds mounting in the east. The wind began to freshen and the swells grew. It appeared we were in for one of those famous BVI squalls. The nearest land looked to be about 100 yards away. We recognized the island and knew that on the other side of the island was a little restaurant where we had enjoyed steamed lobster and rice a few days back. We remembered seeing a boat tied to the dock that belonged to the restaurant owner. My friend said that he would swim to the island to get help. Someone must stay with the boat, and that would be me.
I knew my friend was a strong swimmer. He plunged into the water, and I watched him plow straight for the shore. In a few minutes, I saw him cross the sandy beach and plunge into the thick jungle. About that time, the storm hit. Heavy rain and high winds assailed me and my little craft. The intensity of the storm increased; swells grew to four feet - at times submerging the rock to which the boat was tied. To pass the time, I bailed the boat with my hat and sung all the hymns about the sea that I could remember. Through all the storm, I never worried, because I knew the boat would not sink, and I knew my friend would come back for me. The sun was low on the horizon when the storm left as quickly as it had come. The wind stopped, the water calmed, and a dense fog settled all around. I waited. Before long, I heard the put-put of a little engine. Through the fog I saw red and green lights, and I knew my friend had come for me as I knew he would. Before he left this world, Jesus told his friends that he must go away, but not to worry. He would come back for them, he said, and he would take them to be with him always (John 14:1-3). That is why when the storms of life swirl all around me, I am not anxious. I have Jesus as my friend. I know he cares for me, and some day he will come to take me to safety where he is.
Friends are like that. (All Rights reserved.) | 