The Call of the Sea — Capt. Billy

My Dad, Capt. Billy, used to talk to me about “the call of the sea.” Few understand it, but those who have heard it know there is no getting over it. 

Such is the call of God upon my life. God’s life-call for my Dad was to the sea, thus he lived most of his life on and around the ocean as a fisherman. God’s life-call for me has been to give my life to Him, as a fisher of men, women, boys and girls. 

I also have a love for the sea. Mostly, because of my Dad’s love for it, no doubt. It was there that he experienced the strongest sense of His Lord’s Presence. I also feel that same holy embrace when I am at or on the sea. 

My Dad feared hurricanes, but only out of respect. Some of the most exciting times of my childhood were watching Dad prepare his shrimp boat and our humble home for a hurricane. The only thing that overcame his fear of these giant unpredictable storms was the undeniable invigoration he felt preparing for one. It was obvious that he never felt more alive than when a hurricane was approaching.

As a matter of fact, in 1989, my Dad rode out Hurricane Hugo near Charleston, South Carolina aboard his shrimp boat. The short story is, Dad went south to miss the trajectory of the storm but the storm shifted and 150 mph winds with all of its fury came straight over the inland river where Dad had anchored. All night he stayed vigilantly awake, making sure his pumps worked and his anchors held. And praise the Lord, the Master of the Sea saw to it that Capt. Billy survived to tell the story. And man, did Dad love to tell the story. In fact, Dad became a legend of sorts because of his call to the sea and the invigoration that was his having survived a Category 5 hurricane on the water.

These days, the call of the sea is still working on me. This being a week of planned and needed vacation, Kim, Lucy and I scrambled back to homebase after our evacuation from Ocracoke Island, N.C., loaded the Four Winds RV and made our way to a new beach that we  believe to be just out of reach of Hurricane Florence’s wide-spread wings. Yes, we are beside the Atlantic Ocean at The Cape — Cape Henlopen, Delaware, that is. 

In spirit, however, we are also present with our family and friends in deep prayer as you are in the track of the storm. We are trusting the Almighty One Who holds this hurricane by the mane. King Jesus! May His call be evident to us all. 

A few images from Cape Henlopen, Delaware... 

Morning-lit beach path

Deer, deer, deer.

Ships passing. 

Seagull lift-off. 

His.

Hers. 

Coolest horseshoe crab ever. 

Waterfowl presence evidence.

 

The Point at Cape Henlopen. See the lighthouse in the fog. 

My Dad, Billy, as a young captain aboard trawler.

My Dad’s life-passage above from KJV.

Presence Matters Most!

That is... Presence. Unity. Souls. Love. 

Pastor Kerry Willis