Anchor

Is defined as a person or thing that provides stability or confidence in an otherwise uncertain situation

2020 started out as the year of Vision. In January hope abounded in people’s minds and lives. This would be the year of change and victory over the things of the past that has weighed so many of us down. As the days and months progressed, our hopes and dreams seemed to dissolve like water being dumped out of a bucket falling to the dirt below causing nothing but mud and muck wherever it landed.

Life since then continues to be filled with great apprehension. So how do we regain hope and peace in a time of so much fear and uncertainty? We must find something to hold on to while the things of life swirl haphazardly around us.

Recently we moved to a home along side a flowing River. Many lessons can be found here. I have learned that with fishing there are many different types of ways to fish. You can fish from a pier, the bank, standing in water, from an inner-tube, from a small boat, a large boat and even a Kayak. Some ways have the potential to be more successful than others. It also depends on what you are fishing for.

While fishing on the River one has to be mindful of the terrain of the ground on the water bed along with the current of the water above. A rocky, shallow and weedy bed might be more advantageous than a vast deep cavern. You can certainly take a Kayak out on the River and fish however it’s a lot more work than going out on a River boat with a trolling motor and an anchor.

An anchor can be a very helpful tool for someone who decides to fish in some type of floating apparatus. If one does not have an anchor they are subject to the wind and the ebb and flow of the current. Fishing can be done this way but it takes a lot more effort than using an anchor. In some cases two anchors work best depending on the size of the vessel you are in. With one anchor only at the port side or the back of the boat it is free to continue to move with the flow of the River. Whereas with only one anchor at the starboard side or front of a boat it can limit some movement of the boat. With two anchors in place, one in the front and one in the back the movement of the boat is more constrained.

Why all of this talk about anchors? Well, I believe that what we need to find, as the turmoils of the world try to subdue us creating a current so big intended to sweep us away, is something that will help to keep us securely safe and in place. We need something that will enable us to remain unmoved as we get a clearer picture of what we want and where we need to go. We need some anchors for our lives.

For me it is my Faith in God that I hold on to that keeps my feet resolute and unwavering. We all have a level of faith, whether it is faith that the sun will rise and set day after day or that the elevator we get in will not fall to the ground but move to the floor needed. We have faith that when we put the key in the ignition the car will start and that while at the stop light the other cars will go and stop as directed by the traffic lights. But what happens when our faith in these things falters? Someone runs a red light, the car doesn’t start, the elevator has a malfunction? In some cases this could be life threatening. We can become angry and bitter blaming everything and everyone around us that things didn’t turn out the way we expected them to.

Over these past 44 years I have experienced many ups and downs, many ebbs and flows in the River of my life on this earth. On that day in January 1980 when I decided to accept Jesus into my broken and drug filled life, I had come to a place where I realized after 23 years of living that I needed help. I needed Someone to help navigate me down my own personal River. Someone Who knew the terrain I would move over and through. Someone Who could shelter me through the storms that I was certain to experience, Someone Who loved me just as I was, Who forgave me of my wrong doings and mistakes and Who would help me to become all that I was created to be, Someone who would keep me anchored while everything around me could be falling apart.

Once I accepted Jesus into my life all trials have not dispersed, far from it. But when I come up against the challenges I am able to overcome them because I personally know the Savior of the World and His very Spirit lives in me to guide and direct me each step of the way.

I also have a road map- the Bible- as my second anchor. This is a tool that helps me learn from other followers of Christ who actually walked with Jesus, along with those who never met Him and yet still believed in His coming. The Bible  provides information on how the earth began, lessons to learn from peoples mistakes and victories along with what we can expect in the future. It’s a book that is there to help me navigate through the waters I’m in and the waters in front of me. We can’t become stagnant and just stay in place. We must continue to move with vision and purpose as we continue our journey.

Since being a Christian I have gone through divorce, betrayal, abandonment, life threatening illnesses, death of those nearest to me, financial struggles… but through it all I can truly say it is well with my soul! Not because I have the ability to right my own ship but because I am anchored down with the Presence of God in my life. He’s in front of me, behind me, beside me and within me. The Peace of God, through His very Spirit, abides deep within me. Jesus is the author of Peace and His very being is Love. Love for me and all of His Creation. He helps to settle me down when I need to stop and rest and gives me the motivation and direction I need when it’s time to move.

By seeing His faithfulness time after time in my own life I can agree with the Apostle Paul who said…

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 NIV (New International Version)

In closing please know that there is Someone out there Who wants to be your guide, your friend, the lover of your soul and your anchor. Won’t you ask Him in?

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:19 NLT (New Living Translation)