By Rick Moore
Jimmy was meticulous with every detail. He used a magnifying glass to make sure every part was glued together perfectly. He spent months building his miniature sailboat. To him, it was much more than a toy. The boat was a working replica of a schooner, complete with two masts, sails, and a rudder. It represented everything Jimmy had ever learned from building models. Other toy boats were made for bathtubs and swimming pools. His was made to sail in the waters of the Emerald Coast. The shape of the vessel resembled the great racing yachts of the early 1900s. The bottom of the hull was painted with a white waterproof sealant. Jimmy signed the stern with a fine tip brush making sure all knew who the beautiful sailboat belonged to.
The big day came to test the model boat on the water. Jimmy tied a line to the bow just in case it was carried away by the waves. He definitely didn’t want to lose it. The boat held up just great. The waterproofing of the hull worked to perfection. Each time Jimmy took his toy schooner out into the waves, he allowed it to go further and further out, sometimes reaching over 200 yards from the shore. Every once in a while he would allow children on the beach to hold the line, but that was only when the boat was close by.
On one occasion, Jimmy allowed the schooner to go so far from shore it was almost out of sight. A fisherman was casting his reel and got his line crossed with the line Jimmy used to secure the toy schooner. The fisherman did not want to take the time to untangle the lines, so he cut both of them in order to save his fishing tackle. By the time Jimmy realized what had happened, the toy vessel was totally out of sight. He swam as fast as he could to try and retrieve the boat, but the waves were so high he couldn’t see it. The schooner was gone. He waited for hours on the beach hoping the tide would bring his boat in. He took a flashlight out in the evening, walking up and down the shore, but his boat was not to be found. For weeks, he searched along the coast asking if anyone had seen his boat. He feared it was on the bottom of the gulf never to be seen again.
Months later, on Easter Sunday, as Jimmy was walking home from church, he passed by the town square and noticed something in a store window. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He ran into the store shouting, “You found it! You found my boat!” The store manager tried to calm Jimmy down. Jimmy picked up his boat and said “I’m so glad you found it, thank you so much!” The manger said, “I don’t know what you are talking about, but that model you are holding in your hands costs three hundred dollars.” Jimmy said, “But it’s mine; I made it.” Jimmy even showed the manager where he had painted his name on the stern. The manager said he was sorry, but if Jimmy wanted to take it home he was going to have to pay for it. Jimmy knew that wasn’t fair, but he loved that boat so much he paid the price. That boat was made by Jimmy, and the price was paid by Jimmy.
Jimmy’s story is often told the week of Easter to explain why God gave His only begotten son to die for us. Like Jimmy’s schooner, God made us. Like Jimmy’s schooner, we became lost. Like Jimmy’s schooner, God bought us back, paying the ultimate price. God loves us so much He made us, and then He paid for us. Happy Easter!
Rick Moore is Communication Pastor at Destiny Worship Center.
Author: Sowal Editor
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