Dear Friends,
It’s been a while since I wrote something to you at the beginning of our time with BCF. Now, 14 years later, our lives have changed dramatically – but perhaps I should begin at the beginning for context.
We still have our dear narrowboat, Spring Water, and she is still painted bright lime green. She has been a delight to us and taken us to places we never knew existed. We have also met lots of people from different walks of life, cruised on and met other new, colourful people. I think that is the same for most continual cruisers; we are like ships passing in the night. A lady I once met explained that on the cut you have several ‘Rent a friends’.
Friendships may be brief, but valuable nonetheless.
Our first summer was spent in London, seeing the sights and making contact with various homeless charities so that we knew where such people could get help, as God brought them across our path.
Before leaving London in the autumn of our first year, we took Spring Water on her first ‘white water’ ride from Lime House to Brentford. To say I thought we were going to meet a watery end doesn’t quite define the abject terror I was in as the howling wind blew the rain horizontally and enormous stormy waves pummelled against our boat, threatening to sink her. Added to this, the bridge directional lights changed mid-flow, causing us to do a sharp right hand turn! We missed the ominous stone arch wall by inches. As Andy memorably announced, “This would be so much more fun if you were enjoying it!”.
Despite my thoughts of certain death, God brought us through. We arrived safely and calmly at Brentford and moored there overnight. What a relief it was to get off the Thames that day and into the safe haven of the canal.
Whist moored there, God gave me an opportunity to fulfil my desire to tell others about Jesus. A couple on the boat in front had invited us for coffee. Whilst the men chatted about engines and batteries, the lady and I talked about all the novels she had read.
I didn’t read novels, so I kept very quiet about my reading taste. Indeed, I only really liked to read the Bible, Christian teaching books and of course our newest edition of the BCF Word!
Despite my hesitancy, the lady pressed me three times to tell her what I read. So after magnificently changing the subject twice, I finally blurted out my confession. This time, she magnificently changed the subject!
Yet some 25 minutes later when she mentioned how hurt she had been by members of a church she had been attending over 25 years ago, I was delighted to be able to offer her the comfort and reassurance of the Holy Spirit as He led me to recall various scriptures that were just what she needed to hear. I left her with the Gospel of Luke and still pray today that this lady has come to know Jesus.
From there we travelled on to Nottingham, which I shall leave for another edition.
Much love in Jesus
Sue and Andy Smith
(First published in the BCF Word Magazine Issue 107 February 2024)