When The Boat Comes In

Dance to your Daddy my little laddie
Dance to your Daddy my little man

You shall have a fishy on a little dishy
You shall have a fishy when the boat comes in

This old folk song, about a hungry boy from a poor family, who knows that ‘when the boat comes in’ he will be fed, has been around for hundreds of years. Although it originates from North East England it could have been about our local Lowestoft fishing industry…

My mum used to use the expression as a bit of a joke. ‘We can’t afford it now, but when my boat comes in…’ It’s an expression of optimism and hope… just as folks today say, ‘When I win the lottery…’

In recent weeks we’ve watched food and supplies being transported by sea to Gaza. Gaza’s on the brink of famine… poor, hungry boys dependent on a boat coming in… A lottery that’s no joke.

The US charity World Central Kitchen has been involved with maritime humanitarian aid shipments. This week seven WCK workers were killed as they moved food from a warehouse to distribute to Gaza’s starving population. Little Gazan laddies won’t be fed.

Extending the picture…

…I recently heard of someone say that we shouldn’t wait for our boat to come in – we should row out there to meet it. Waiting for the boat is passive; we may need to look for opportunities, take the initiative, do something.

…In Jesus’ description of acts of kindness… ‘When I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink…’ perhaps we could add ‘when I was waiting for my boat, you supplied one and made sure it came in…’

Musing… Sometimes I must wait for my boat in hopeful anticipation; sometimes I must row out to meet my boat in intentional activity; sometimes I must supply a boat to those in greater need than me.

I pray for the wisdom to know which is required when.