December 17, 2021 – Click here to listen
Yesterday I received some wonderful news concerning my boat woes. Most regular readers know that upon returning home from the Bahamas the other day I lost two engines. They were getting very old, and I’ve fished them hard for many years and have been concerned for some time that they might be reaching the end of the line. They now need major expensive repairs to fix them, even if I could find the necessary parts to do so in this Biden age of shortages. Thus, I am faced with repowering. Unfortunately finding new engines is even more daunting of a task than finding parts for repair and I know folks that have had them on order for over a year and still not received them.
All my friends know about my problem. I’ve told them that at my age I cannot wait for a year or two to get engines because every single day counts. They sprang into action and began searching and reaching out to all their contacts and searching the Internet trying to find parts or preferably a set of new engines.
So yesterday against all odds a friend found four brand new 350 Mercury engines. I was told that Mercury has a 63 week wait for delivery, but he somehow found a guy who had $5 million in inventory, and he agreed to sell me four brand new mercury 350’s at the suggested retail price. I figured the dealer would have jacked up the price due to the tremendous demand and near-zero supply, but he did not.
My friend called to tell me the good news and then he asked, “Now who’s your daddy?” I quickly answered, “You my daddy! – You my daddy now!” We both laughed like hyenas.
So, my new engines will be ready on Tuesday, but I still needed to get my wounded boat pulled from the water and hauled to a shop where the engines can be installed. Thus, the next problem became finding a boat trailer large enough to haul my large boat. No problem another buddy offered the use of his trailer, but the caveat was that he didn’t have a truck large enough to haul my big boat. Ugh – I told another friend about my dilemma and he told another friend, and he offered the use of his truck. Then he volunteered to help pull it out of the water and drive it wherever I wanted to take it.
Now the problem was getting the work done fast. Everyone is backed up with work and yes Christmas is coming on fast. You guessed it, another friend called in a favor from his mechanic, and he was told that as a favor to my buddy he will move my job to the head of the line and install them for me next week. I am hopeful that it will be ready to go before my children and grandchildren come for Christmas.
Though many pieces must now come together I cannot believe how blessed I am. You probably think I’m saying that because of the boat. Though thrilled with that prospect, the blessing to which I refer is having so many good friends. I had many friends in the Keys, Miami, and even had one buddy who lives in Stuart scouring the Internet looking for a solution to my problem. The guy who found the new engines practically begged the sales guy to sell them to me, because I was driving him crazy calling him and he needed to get me off his back. The sales guy could relate because I was relentless in calling him too.
I have so many friends I am amazed. The Bible mentions that we need friends and were not created to be solitary creatures spending our time in isolation. To have friends we must be friendly ourselves. It is a two-way street, and all my friends know I will be there for them no matter the time of day or night. I try to live by the example that it’s the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that really matter in life, and they know I’ll be there for them.
I don’t look at it as obligation or being tedious, it’s fun to me. Yesterday I helped one buddy and spent nearly the entire day working with him on a special project he has trying to get finished. It really wasn’t work because we joked around and laughed so hard, we nearly choked, and had a great time.
I have counseled and encouraged many of my friends whose children have gone astray, or marriages that were collapsing and called in favors from various clinics and friends to help get them squared away. At one time or other, I’ve witnessed to every friend I’ve known, and they know I care about their spiritual well-being. I lead by example. One guy said he had a source that could get my parts but there would be no serial numbers. I looked at him with a hurt expression and gently said, “I realize you are trying to help, but please don’t say anything like that to me again”. I could see in his eyes that he respected that and was genuinely remorseful of saying it. I really want to get my boat fixed but I would never buy stolen property.
I know so many folks who don’t have friends. It is lonely and goes against the laws of creation to do so. I hope that no one reading this finds themselves in that situation. Put a smile on your face and when you meet someone new offer to take them to breakfast or lunch and get the ball rolling.
So, thanks to my many friends I should be back in the fishing business within two weeks at most. If not, well I’ll just keep plugging away and I know my friends will be right there with me. One friend you should be sure to make who loves you and cares for you so much He suffered terribly for you and died on a cross is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Make friends with Him first!
John 15:12
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!