Who's Going to Carry the Boats?
"Who's going to carry the boats?" The question echoes across the cold, wet sand of Coronado Beach, where Navy SEAL candidates face one of the world's most grueling military training programs. It's not just a question of physical endurance – it's a challenge that cuts to the core of leadership, commitment, and purpose. The boats, weighing over 200 pounds, become the ultimate test of not just individual strength, but of team resilience and unwavering determination.
For nearly two years, I have witnessed my brother-in-law’s relentless pursuit of earning his trident – the prestigious emblem that marks a soldier's transformation into a SEAL. It took him almost eighteen months to complete the rigorous training, starting with Basic, then BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL), and finishing with SQT (SEAL qualification training); his journey embodied the essence of unstoppable determination.
He's always known this was his calling, determined that nothing would stand between him and earning his trident. During Hell Week – the make-or-break crucible of SEAL training – candidates must carry massive inflatable boats through deep sand for hours until exhaustion claims them one by one. As others fall away, remaining team members must shoulder an increasingly heavy burden. For my brother-in-law, this test became even more daunting when he broke his foot during a landing. In those final hours, when his body screamed for surrender and the infamous brass bell beckoned with its promise of relief, something remarkable happened. On the brink of total exhaustion, he felt God's presence helping to push him through the pain to the finish line. That divine partnership carried him past his physical limits to achieve what seemed impossible.
This powerful question – "Who's going to carry the boats?" – resonates far beyond the shores of Coronado. As we step into 2025, it challenges each of us to consider: What heavy loads has God called us to bear? What crucial responsibilities are we uniquely positioned to shoulder? The weight of these questions becomes even more significant when we realize that, like those SEAL candidates, our willingness to carry the load often determines whether others will have to bear additional burdens or find the strength to rejoin the fight.
The biblical story of Nehemiah provides a striking parallel. Upon learning that Jerusalem's walls lay in ruins, Nehemiah felt a divine calling to rebuild them. His response is telling: "Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, 'If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.'" Like a SEAL candidate facing that weighted boat, Nehemiah stepped forward when others stepped back.
The challenges facing our communities in 2025 demand similar courage and commitment. We need leaders willing to:
Launch ambitious community outreach programs that seem beyond our resources, reaching into neighborhoods and demographics we've never reached before
Build bridges across deep social divides within our congregations, facilitating difficult conversations and fostering genuine understanding
Mentor the next generation of leaders through uncertain times, investing countless hours in developing character and competence
Champion innovative ministry initiatives that push us beyond our comfort zones, embracing new methods while preserving timeless truths
Address systemic issues in our communities that others have been deemed too complex or controversial to tackle
Each of these challenges requires the same kind of resilience demonstrated by SEAL candidates during Hell Week. The path forward isn't always clear, and progress often comes at a significant personal cost. Sometimes we must press on through broken moments, trusting that our calling is greater than our comfort.
These challenges might seem as daunting as rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. Opposition will come, just as it did for Nehemiah: "Hear us, our God, for we are despised... for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders." Yet the wall was rebuilt in 52 days because the people "worked with all their heart." This remarkable achievement reminds us that seemingly impossible tasks become attainable when we combine divine calling with unwavering commitment, and we work in deep partnership with the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes, our God-sized dreams feel too big to share. Nehemiah himself admits, "I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem." Many of us carry visions and callings that seem too audacious to voice aloud, we too must press forward when God places a vision in our hearts.
The weight of leadership can feel overwhelming. Just as SEAL candidates watch their boat crew dwindle during Hell Week, making the load heavier for those who remain, leaders often experience increasing burdens as others step back. That's precisely when we must ask ourselves, "Who's going to carry the boats?" If not us, then who? If not now, then when?
When we step up to carry the load God has assigned us, we're never carrying it alone. God’s presence, is available to each of us as we pursue our God-given missions, pushing us through our darkest hours. Just as every SEAL candidate discovers depths of strength they never knew they possessed we, too, will find resources beyond our natural capabilities when we commit to our calling.
It was an absolute honor to watch my brother-in-law receive his trident. During the intimate ceremony, his eyes reflected both overwhelming gratitude and triumph as the gold insignia was pinned to his uniform – a moment shared by only a few thousand individuals throughout history. The weight of the achievement was palpable in the room as he joined the ranks of an elite brotherhood. Family members dabbed tears from their eyes, understanding the magnitude of what he had endured to reach this milestone. As he stood there, transformed by his journey, I was reminded that some achievements hold a deeper significance than any words can capture. Sometimes, the rewards of our efforts are displayed for those to see; other times, they remain just between us and God.
For those of us who are not at the finish line but are in the process of building the walls that God has tasked us with, I want to share encouragement from my life verse (which has taken on new meaning as I've witnessed the power of divine partnership in moments of extreme challenge):
"Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."
- Isaiah 40:30-31
As we face the challenges of 2025, remember: The question isn't whether the boats are heavy – they always are. The question is who will step forward to carry them. Discovering divine strength and pushing beyond physical limits, we can access the supernatural when we commit to carrying the loads God has prepared for us.
The walls need rebuilding. The boats are waiting. The challenges of 2025 loom large. Who's going to carry the boats?
Will you?
Michael Visser
Co-founder, Threefold Solutions
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