Can I get to the shore myself?

There was an interesting point I came across this evening, in one of our spirituality related discussions. If God is all-loving and created every one equal and in His own image, then why is that only some are happy and others are not? Why is there so much disparity and inequality in His showering of blessings? Why is there so much happiness at one end and so much sorrow and suffering at the other end?
Later, what I am made to realize - "God does indeed shower His grace equally on all the creatures on earth!". I learn that Sri Rãmakrishna Paramahamsa paints a very lively and vivid imagery to clarify-
"We are sailing the seas in a ship. God's grace is like the mild breeze that is constantly blowing over the seas. Of what use is the breeze if we donot hoist our masts to trap the breeze to steer the ship?"
Understandably, those who hoist the masts are happy and those who ignore the breeze, meet with despair.

There is another equally interesting simili I was told today...
"We are like the small plants and animals that get washed away along with the flow of water in the river. We experience happiness and enjoyment when the flow is gentle, and sorrow - when we hit against small rocks on our path. How nice would it be to just stand on the shores and enjoy the river, instead of ourselves being a part of the stream?"

Now, I ponder...
Well, it would definitely be! But we are already flowing. We know that the shore is our goal, not the stream, and yet the stream is so forceful to take us along its path. Who is going to take us ashore, or atleast guide us to the river banks? So we are definitely in agreement that someone needs to pull us ashore, aren't we? Yes, all of us indeed need a 'Guru'. Here, I remember, my Gurunatha makes an interesting observation - "How can one, who himself is flowing, help us out? Shouldn't he be someone who is already on the banks?". Umpteen examples does He give, in the course of His musings on Guru Lakshana...