The sun was setting over the Atlantic Ocean near Sandy Bay, Saint Vincent. I was standing on Esford’s front steps, leaning against the wall and listening as he told me a very interesting story.
In 1986 he owned a boat, and he and four other men planned to take a trip to Saint Lucia. This is the next island north of Saint Vincent. The trip would be about twenty-six miles across open water. The purpose of the trip was to buy vehicle parts for Mr. Charles, a local Christian from another village and one of the five who would make up the boating group. The trip was scheduled for Thursday evening.
Early that Thursday morning Esford rode his motorbike into the city of Kingstown to run errands and to pick up the necessary travel documents for himself and the other four men. The roads then weren’t as good as they are now, and the drive would have taken two or two and a half hours on a motorbike. Even today it is still a hilly, coastal road with continual twists and turns and hairpin curves.
Having gotten the documents, he was on his way back to Sandy Bay on that same twisty road. A jeep in front of him was driving very slowly, and Esford turned on his signal to show that he was going to pull out and pass the jeep. However, there was another man on a motorcycle directly behind him who did not see his turn signal. This motorcycle intended to pass both Esford’s motorbike and the jeep. Both bikes pulled out at the same time, and as a result they collided. Esford was thrown off his motorbike, and although he hit his head and was bruised in several places, he was not badly hurt.
The accident happened in front of a friend’s house. This friend was a mechanic and made a few adjustments to the motorbike, and Esford was able to continue on his way home.
At first he thought he would still go to Saint Lucia as planned. However, as the time for leaving drew near, he began to wonder if he should take the trip. He discussed it with his wife, and she coaxed him not go to. Since he had hit his head in the accident, she was concerned that something might develop that would need a doctor’s attention. Esford agreed, as by then he wasn’t feeling just right. He decided to cancel the trip for himself and made arrangements for the others to take his boat without him.
At the appointed time, the other four men got into the boat and were ready to push off. Just then, Esford’s cousin David came down to the beach to help with the push-off. The four men in the boat encouraged David to come along in place of Esford. They would be gone for a couple of nights, and he could stay with friends in Saint Lucia. So he decided at the last moment to go.
The five men made it safely to Saint Lucia and went about their business. On Saturday, they again boarded the boat for the twenty-six-mile return trip.
Later Saturday evening, another boat landed at Sandy Bay that had left Saint Lucia that afternoon. The men in this boat asked if Esford’s boat had docked safely, since they had seen it leave a while before they left. When they were told that it had not arrived yet, everyone became concerned.
The Saint Lucia boat returned to sea to search for Esford’s boat, but they found nothing. Sadly, to this day, neither the boat nor the five men have ever been found. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-21To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; (Ecclesiastes 3:1‑2)). “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:1212Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. (Amos 4:12)).
Nobody knows what happened. Did they capsize? did they drown? were they hijacked? Whatever happened out there on the open water, only God knows. You can well imagine that it was a very sad day in the community of Sandy Bay. The lost men left behind wives and families. David, Esford’s cousin who had taken his place in the boat, left a wife and five children. And sadly, he had not accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. We can only hope that he cried out to God for his soul’s salvation in his last moments of life.
All that Esford could say at the end of the story was, “God knows what He is doing and has His way in everything.” He added, “There is surely a purpose behind it.”
David took Esford’s place in the boat not knowing what the end result would be. But the Lord Jesus came into this world and took my place on the cross, knowing that it would mean giving up His life and shedding His blood for my sins so I could go free. He took my place! Can you say the same?
If you had been in that boat, where would you be now? Would you be with the Lord Jesus in heaven? or would you be in a lost eternity?
ML-09/11/2011