Insights From a Boat Ride on the Erie Canal

Observing a Captain and a Lock on the Canal

Recently my husband, daughter, and grandchildren took a ride on the Sam Patch boat on the Erie Canal, leaving from Pittsford, NY.  The boat was full of passengers, many with children.  We learned some history of the canal, but also took time to just enjoy the sights and scenery as we traveled along for an hour and a half.  Since a paved trail follows the canal, we saw several people out enjoying the beautiful sunny day as they walked or biked.  We also passed a few back yards where folks were out enjoying their canal view.  As kids on the deck waved, some people smiled and waved back. Being on the water was exhilarating.

My most enjoyable experience was sitting in Lock 32 of the canal, watching ourselves being slowly carried upward to a higher level.  Because the canal flows through ascending elevations from Albany to Buffalo, NY, a series of locks are needed to carry boats up and down to get to and from various levels.  I  was surprised to watch huge doors of the lock close behind us and to look ahead to see another high barrier which was letting water pour into the lock.  We were way down low and looked up perhaps a hundred feet or so to where we needed to be in order to continue on our journey along the next leg of the canal.

At first I didn’t realize we were slowly moving up.  But when I looked at the inside walls of the lock, I could see that we were actually rising.  As we finally reached the top, we couldn’t even see the barrier doors that had held the water inside so that we could ride up the “water elevator.”  Our boat moved ahead down the canal with the lock behind us.

Captain Jim Van Valkenburgh was obviously experienced in steering the boat.  This was especially noticeable when he expertly turned the long boat around inside the narrow canal so that we could head back.  He stood or sat at the wheel, which was located on the back deck, navigating safely as we just enjoyed the ride.  Of course, we couldn’t see the mechanics of how the wheel turned the rudder, which in turn caused the boat to go in the right direction.  In fact, I never really thought about the rudder.  We just placed our faith in the captain’s ability, and he kept control of where the boat should be.

Another thing that I appreciated about Captain Jim was that he was very personable, asking folks who came to the back deck of the boat where they were from and if they had been on the Sam Patch before.  After awhile, he let children sit on his stool to “drive” the boat.  Of course, he was right there helping them, often with an arm around them.  His demeanor was one of a caring papa who wanted the kids to have a special memory of steering that boat.

Here are pictures of my two youngest grandsons, both of whom got to steer the boat with Captain Jim’s assistance.  They were thrilled, and of course, as their grandma, I was happy that they could have that experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I watched how the Captain was very patient and encouraging to each child who took a turn at the wheel.  If they started to drift off course, his hand would touch the wheel and sometimes turn it so slightly that the children may not have realized they were steering in the right direction only because of his help.

In reflecting on our trip, I realized some spiritual parallels.  Here they are:

1.  We needed a captain.  Without one, we would have just sat in that boat without going anywhere.  In life we need a Captain also.  We may feel like we can handle everything ourselves, but when we do, we discover that we’ve made some wrong decisions, have spoken words that we regret, and possibly have left some broken relationships behind us.  It’s only as we put our trust in Jesus, our Captain in the sea of life, that we start moving forward in the special plans that God has for us.  We fulfill the destiny for which we were created as we place ourselves in His hands.

2.  God wants to take us to new and higher levels in our walk with Him.  He wants to build our faith and help us to take steps into all that He has planned for us at this point in our lives.  We might not feel like we are moving to the next level.  Just as at first I didn’t really know the boat was rising in the lock, we don’t always realize where we’ve come from and how far God has already taken us.  But God is faithful to work in the lives of those who love and follow Him.   Things in life get tough at times.  But those tough times help us to trust Him more.  When we trust Him, we move upward, level by level.  Sometimes along the way we realize where we’ve come from and are amazed at how He has worked to change us.  So let’s not stall out in life,  Keep moving forward in your relationship with God.

3.  Seeing those huge doors of the lock slam shut behind us could have been scary.  There was no way out.  We had to sit and trust that the captain and those who operated the lock knew what they were doing..  Captain Jim knew how the lock operated and relaxed as he sat there waiting for the boat to rise.  We had to relax and wait also.  In life, sometimes we see doors slam behind us and encounter barriers.  Maybe it was a job that was lost or did not open to us.  Maybe it was a relationship that we had hoped for, but it didn’t work out.  Perhaps it was an opportunity that we thought was ours, but it didn’t turn out the way we thought it should.  Those slamming doors can be upsetting.  But we too must sit and relax in God’s presence, allowing Him to bring about what is best for us.  What we thought was best for us wasn’t really best.  We need to trust that God has something better for us.  When we get to that better situation, those barriers won’t be visible to us any more.

4.  Our Captain, Jesus, is loving, gentle, patient, and always there to help us.  We need to let Him steer our lives.  When He gives us the wheel, it’s for our personal spiritual growth.  We choose whether or not to allow Him to assist us in piloting through the waters of life.  He willingly gives us direction as we read His Word, pray, and learn from others who journey through life with Him.  If we start to get off track, but truly want His direction, He gently takes the wheel and steers us safely into His purposes for us.

5.  Just as I couldn’t see the mechanics of the boat, but just the result of the steering, we don’t always see and understand how God is working as we pray and trust Him.  But He’s there, turning situations around behind the scenes.

None of the children who were steering the boat with Captain Jim told him to leave them alone or that they could do it themselves.  They knew that they needed his help.  They were not weaker for receiving that help, but were stronger for it.   They got to have a delightful experience with a captain who was caring and who encouraged them, telling them they were doing a great job.  Those kids are an example for us.  We are God’s kids.  He knows a lot more than we do.  If we’re smart, we’ll acknowledge that we need Jesus to be our Captain.

If you don’t know how to begin to get on the boat with God and to let Him be your Captain, take a look at our page How To Know God.

Do you have any spiritual insights from our boat trip that I didn’t think of?  If so, please share in the comments below!