I was reminded of this story recently when the Australian Collins Class submarines were portrayed on the television program “60 Minutes”.
Tex spent his life at sea as a professional fisherman. On a deceptively calm night Tex guided his 13 metre fishing boat toward the beach of an otherwise inaccessible canyon. He had agreed to allow some friends to come ashore using the vessel’s small skiff while he and the rest of the crew did some night fishing.
Returning to the rendezvous spot early the next morning the men found conditions had deteriorated. Huge waves ripped through the channel, nearly capsizing the fishing boat (and unbeknown to the crew) fatally weakening it.
The small skiff, full of hunters waiting on the shoreline had had its bottom torn out by rugged rocks. With great difficulty a tow line was brought to the shivering hunters who while holding onto floating objects were dragged by the boat’s winch through the surf to the vessel. All got there safely.
Exhausted after fishing all night and the adventure of the morning, Tex went below deck to sleep. A few hours later he was woken by his panicking friends. The boat was sinking. By the time Tex got to the deck there was nothing he could do except order everyone into the water. They only had life jackets and inner tubes to keep them afloat.
The men were in trouble and currents were sweeping them out to sea. Night was coming and two men swam towards what they thought were boat lights in the distance. They didn’t make it and drowned. By morning the situation had worsened. A tube was losing air. There was no food and water. Overhead planes did not see them.
It was then that Tex decided to call a prayer meeting. No one objected. With all hope gone this group of tough self sufficient sailors had only one place to turn. They pleaded for God to intervene. The moment the last man finished his prayer Tex looked up. “A stick” he cried out. The stick was standing vertically out of the water. It appeared to be a fishing buoy or marker of some kind. Suddenly the stick began to move rapidly in their direction. The six men stopped paddling, stunned and puzzled. Seconds later there was a huge sound and a monster emerged from the depths. It was a nuclear submarine.
The hatch opened and the captain of the sub came to the observation deck. Rescued! Huddled below deck and nursing hot coffee the six survivors listened awestruck as the captain explained it was against orders for him to surface his sub anywhere outside Pearl Harbour and he expected to face disciplinary action for what he had done. But as story teller Rick Bundschuh records the captain said “Something beyond my control told me to go to the surface. I can’t explain. Something just told me to bring the sub right up, right then and there. I did… and you were there”.
This true story is one example of how God can answer prayer. Other times the answer is not spectacular and it may seem God is not answering at all. Sometimes we have to listen and wait. You never know what might happen when groups of people – even whole communities - genuinely reach out to God in prayer. Give our Creator the opportunity. Humble your self and pray, turn from our evil ways and see what might happen. Thank Him for so many things including what He has done for us through Jesus on the cross. Genuine thanks leads to obedience and worship.
Bruce Stewart. Boort-Barraport Baptist Church.