Pete Collins loved reading adventure stories, especially those involving heroics on the high seas. Often, he’d row his boat beyond the breakers during family vacations and imagine saving lives. When Pete grew up, he joined a lifeboat crew. Its dedicated men lived in large houses near where ships often floundered in stormy seas. They trained daily, guiding their lifeboats through rolling waves, building their muscles, and preparing for the time when they had to rescue someone.
One night, after the balmy days of summer had passed, a storm roared in from the ocean. Shrieking winds rocked the house. The light beam from the lighthouse vanished into the sweeping rain and icy sleet. In the distance a foghorn moaned, adding a feeling of doom to the scene.
At about two o’clock in the morning the watch stationed above the building saw a flare arch low over the horizon. A ship was in distress! He sounded the alarm. Pete and his team jumped into their gear, gathered their ropes and flotation devices, and raced for the lifeboat.
As they struggled toward the ocean, Pete saw waves as tall as buildings crashing across the sands. The water boiled like a cauldron, and an icy wind sucked the breath from his lungs. For the first time in his life he felt truly frightened.
«Captain,» he shouted to the man in charge, «we’ll never get back.» The man nodded as he helped push the boat toward the breakers. «We don’t have to come back, Pete,» he said. «But we do have to go out.»
When God calls you to do something, don’t let difficulties stop you. Start out! Let Him take care of what happens after that!