So here is her simplified lesson, in her own words...here we go...
In the Book of Acts (in the New Testament), there is a story about Paul embarking on a voyage to Rome. He is traveling with several other men by ship. However, before they set sail, Paul warns the men that now may not be the best time to leave, stating "...Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading of the ship, but also of our lives" (Acts 27:10). Despite these warnings, the men decide to proceed with the plan and listen to the words of the owner of the ship, rather than Paul's.
It did not take long for Paul's warnings to become a reality. "But not long after there arose against it [the ship] a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon" (Acts 27:14). The storm continued to rage on, as the scriptures describe, and caused a lot of damage to the ship. As the men were losing control of the situation, they began fearing for their lives. It was decided that they would throw certain belongings overboard to help "lighten" the load. "And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship" (Acts 27:19). The story continues on and explains that while the ship was severely damaged, Paul promised by the authority of God, that no man would lose their life. However, due to the damage and cargo lost, the men were tossed by the waves of the sea for a very long time.
While some may read this and simply consider it a good story, there is an important principle taught. As the scriptures describe the men lightening the ship, there is only one object they specifically mention throwing over; the tackling. Tackling consists of ropes and other materials, used to support the masts and sails of the ship. Without the tackling, there is no way to control the direction in which the ship travels. As I pondered the implications of this action, I couldn't help but wonder what these men were thinking. Here these men are, in the middle of the sea, in an extremely dangerous situation, and at the moment when the storm is at its absolute worst, they decide to throw overboard the one thing that is giving them direction. They simply toss to the side the one thing that can help see them through a seemingly impossible event. As I sat there criticizing these men and laughing at their foolish actions, the thought entered my mind, 'At times, don't YOU do the exact same thing?' I was a little shocked by this thought, but continued to consider how this story applied to each of our lives.
When life is at its absolute worst, and challenges are tossed our way, at times we are tempted to throw our own tackling overboard. We push away the things that will steer us through our individual storms. Satan would make it seem easier to stop going to church, to stop saying our prayers, or to stop reading our scriptures. He will try to convince us to doubt our faith, to question God and His plan and our Heavenly Father's love for each of us. This is the test. To see if we will hold on to our faith and the values we've been taught, or toss them to the side when things get hard.
(I then shared the following video)
Heavenly Father did not expect us to be perfect. However, He did expect us to try. All He asks of us is to give our very best. Our trials help us prove to both ourselves and to Him that He can count on us to do the right thing and to help others do the same. During our trials and hard times, we need to remember our promise to do our very best and to keep on moving forward no matter how much it hurts, or how badly we want to quit. We can't abandon the things that direct us back home to Him. As we hold on to our tackling, and the things that are of most importance to our Heavenly Father, He will direct us through our individual storms. And one day when the blind fold comes off, we will find ourself in the end zone, grateful and happy that we had the strength and faith to press forward.
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