MIRACLES HAPPEN WHEN YOU LISTEN………

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May
4

MIRACLES HAPPEN WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE SMALL STILL VOICE WITHIN

About 30 years ago, my daughter and I were living in a “coffee shack” in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. We were there because I was in love with an adventurous and un- bridled man who followed only his inner voice. This was earth moving for the two of us, coming from a small New England, predominately Catholic Italian culture where you just didn’t do anything like that. Thankfully I was young enough not to be fearful.

Mr. Adventurous was a part of a crew of men who went into the French Frigate Shoals to fish on a huge refrigerator boat. The freezer boat was docked in O’ahu and Mr. Adventurer would fly from Kona each week to catch the boat. He’d already made a number of trips, leaving my daughter and I alone in this “strange new land” to explore and survive.

A few days prior to his next trip, I expressed to him that I felt uncomfortable about his going. He wanted sound reasoning and I couldn’t provide any more than,” I don’t know, it’s just a feeling, but something’s going to happen out there, please don’t go.” We went back and forth on this until the day arrived when he was scheduled to leave.

He was still undecided when he called his captain. He felt silly saying, “I’m not going because Jackie has a feeling something is going to happen out there.” I don’t remember what he told the captain, but thankfully, he listened to me and didn’t go.

We found out a few weeks later, when the boat didn’t return to O’ahu what happened. The crew member who had the night watch fell asleep and wasn’t monitoring the depth finder. The bow struck an underwater shoal, a reef that’s actually the top of an underwater mountain peak, severing the boat like a hot knife through butter.

The crew literally had five minutes to pull on their survival suits, grab the radio and abandon ship. They floated in shark infested waters with no food or water for over a week before another ship heard their distress call. Thankfully, all were saved.

Prior to this time in my life I had always listened to my “instincts” and my gut feelings. But I had never had a premonition before and this was life altering for me as well as Mr. Adventurer.

Jackie Van Dusen