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Themes: Opportunity Richard Wilson had a life long dream: To beat the record set in 1853 by a boat, the Northern light, when it sailed from San Francisco to Boston in 171 days. This meant sailing around the southern tip of South America and all the way up the coast to Boston.
His dream was always in his mind. He finally decided that he would have to try it. He sold everything he had and purchased a special boat for $175,000. He called it the Great American.
He equipped his sail boat with the latest in gear; he loaded all the supplies which he thought he would need for his trip. Excited and hopeful, he set off from San Francisco on October 22, 1990.
At first the voyage went well. The winds were favorable and he was making good time. He had a good shot at beating the record by a number of days. His excitement mounted as he neared Cape Horn at the tip of South America. Suddenly a storm came up. Gale force winds began to buffet the sail boat; huge massive waves pummeled it and tossed it about in the ocean. Wilson was helpless. A 50 foot wave lifted the boat and capsized it; then another wave turned it over again suddenly. Wilson hung on for his life.
Sensing his danger, he turned on his emergency positioning radio beam. This device sent a signal to a satellite in space. The satellite was monitored by a rescue station, thousands of miles away in New York City. When they received the distress signal, they were able to pinpoint exactly where the sinking boat was located.
Hurriedly scanning their screens for ships which might be nearby, the station found a large boat, the New Zealand Pacific, not far from the area where Wilson was in danger. Giving it instructions to change course and proceed to rescue, they waited to see if Wilson could be saved.
Traveling to the spot where the rescue station said that the boat was, the captain and his men peered the dark night. He knew that they must be very close to the spot. It was now 10:30 PM.
Suddenly Wilson, clinging to his boat saw a light approaching. It was the New Zealand Pacific. But the high seas were still tossing him and his boat around. The large ship, 41,000 tons was bearing down on him. The captain saw him and prepared to rescue him. The danger was in getting to him. If the large ship were too close, a wave could easily hurl Wilson against the ship and kill him. If he were too far away, they would not be able to make contact.
The ship neared and opened a pilot door just 20 feet above sea level. A rope ladder was dropped down toward the ocean. The boat neared the ship. Wilson tensed every muscle. "We've only one shot at this" thought Wilson. He knew that if he leaped for the rope and missed, there would be no second chance.
As the next wave lifted the sinking boat, Wilson yelled and jumped toward the rope. He made it! He knew that there would be no second chance. Everything depended on one leap for salvation.
God has been kind. He has given you many opportunities for salvation. How often have you heard the gospel? What if the next opportunity were the last? "He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." Prov. 29:1
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