I decided to start this post off with a picture of a really cool sailboat. When I lived up in Washington, I was about an hour or so from Puget Sound, which is one of the biggest ports in the US. There were hundreds, if not thousands of boats there, and I always enjoyed looking at them, and on a few occasions, riding them. Although there are many different kinds of boats, the majority of them all have three main components. They all have a way to move the boat through the water, whether it be an engine, sails, rudder, or some other way. They all have the ability to carry things like people or cargo. And, regardless of the shape or type, all boats have a steering mechanism, called the helm.
Along with having a helm, it is equally if not more important to have a captain at the helm. Most captains fall into one of two categories. For the first group, they grab the helm with both hands, and firmly guide the ship where they wish it to go. The second group of people are those that let others, storms, and the elements of the ocean control the helm for them. Every person is their own personal captain at the helm of their lives. And each have many choices to make as they traverse the ocean of their lives. There is a scripture that illustrates this point found in the Book of Mormon.
"And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given." ( 2 Nephi 2:26).
In this world, there are captains that act for themselves, and do their best based on the knowledge they have, and there are captains that allow themselves to be acted upon, either by other people, or by other things, such as addiction; and allow those other people and things to make their choices for them.
Whenever I am faced with a tough choice, I remind myself that I am the master of my destiny, the captain at my helm, and that I have a choice. I know where I can turn to help me make the best choices possible. And, even though I know that the ocean is not always nice and smooth, there are places that are relatively smoother than others, and that through using the knowledge I have, studying the scriptures diligently, and seeking guidance from my Heavenly Father through prayer, I will be able to find the easiest way, though it might not always be "easy".
