Keelboat
DRAGGING YOUR BOAT UPSTREAM
Before the invention of steam engines, the only way to bring large amounts of goods upstream in the Old West was to use a keel boat. Size often averaged about 60’x15’ and had a three-foot depth of hull. With one steerer and another operating the sweep, you could travel downstream. But going with your boat upstream proved a different matter.
BOAT UPSTREAM CHALLENGE
You needed twenty very strong men shoving poles into the riverbed in unison forcing the boat a little upstream, then hurriedly pulling the poles and repeating the process. When even this didn’t work, they all waded ashore, pulling a rope about a thousand feet long that was tied high on the mast and thereby literally dragged the boat upstream.
When a man wanted to move goods, he didn’t just hire a crew that would be sufficient for the easy part of the trip, but he hired a crew that would keep things moving even going straight against the strongest of currents.
STEERING LIFE SEASONS
Life is sort of that way, isn’t it? Too many times we’re only prepared for the smooth seasons. We say things like, “I don’t need to be a fanatic about going to church. Once or twice a month is enough. I don’t need to attend Sunday School. I did that when I was a kid. I don’t really need to read the Bible every day. I pretty much know what’s in there anyway. I don’t need to be accountable to a small group of Christians. After all, I can take care of myself.”
GOT STREAMING HELP?
Well, that’s about all you need when everything’s going your way. But as soon as a relationship falters or there’s a financial catastrophe or a problem with the kids, as soon as you slip back to that old sin or rumors start flying about you at work, as soon as you have those nagging doubts about your faith return. In other words, as soon as the waters begin to ripple at all, we need a whole team of folks on our ship, ready to work alongside us and push us forward against the current.
The Bible says, “Carry each other’s burdens and in this way fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).”
We always need structure around us to help forge ahead because we have no idea when we’ll suddenly be facing raging currents. And we don’t know when it will be our turn to put our shoulder to the rope and help pull another believer through their difficult waters.
STEPHEN BLY
Circa 1996
Navigating Keelboat Upstream Image by 7acresky from Pixabay
Waterfall Currents Raging Image by Pexels from Pixabay
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WESTERN WISDOM “Dragging Your Boat Upstream” audio podcast by award-winning western author Stephen Bly. Sponsored by BlyBooks.com Legacy Series.
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