More Boating Insights

My lesson this afternoon went very well, mostly because of the comments, which kept the conversation moving and added some insights that I hadn't considered.

One of those insights is that rowing works a lot better when your boat is facing the right direction. Standard rowboats are pointed in the front so they can cut through the water, but flat in the back. If you try to row the boat backwards, you'll encounter a lot of resistance. You'll much better off if you keep the boat pointed in the direction in which you want to travel. Similarly, if you want to eventually reach the goal of Eternal Life, you need to keep your life oriented by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Another insight was adapted from the scripture about taking Christ's yoke upon us. When two creatures are yoked together, they can work together to pull a heavy load. Similarly, two people can work together in the same rowboat. When both people work row together with equal strength, the boat moves forward. To maintain a perfect balance, Christ matches our efforts as we strive toward Eternal Life. The harder we work for it, the more He helps us, and the faster we get there.

I also had one more insight as I was writing about making sure your boat is facing the right way. When a person rows a boat, they're usually facing backward so they can use their powerful back muscles to pull on the oars. This allows them to use their strength, but it also makes it difficult for them to see where they're going. Similarly, we are frequently called upon to act in faith, not fully knowing what lies ahead, but when we do so, our faith allows us to tap into greater power than we normally use.

These are just a handful of the insights I've gained from this analogy. I'm sure I could think of others later, but I'm too tired to now. I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to teach this lesson. I feel like I gained a lot from it. I look forward to my next opportunity to teach a lesson in Elders' Quorum.