Anchor

I recall both good and stressful moments during my husband’s and my boating years when this word enters my thoughts.  During our early years of starting and growing a small business, it was a total stress releaser when the weekend finally arrived, and we headed towards our favorite chill spot with our boat.  We’d pack our cooler for the day, along with the Sunday newspaper, and anchor our small open bow boat in our familiar calm cove.

Since the boat was safely anchored, we could relax, even if we decided to swim away from our boat, enjoy a swim or gather with our friends from other boats in the cool waters.  With each of our boats secure, it kept us from total chaos should a storm arise.  And, as it always does in the heat of the summer, it did!  There was lightning and pelting rain all around, and that once calm cove turned into a possible disaster.  But thanks to our anchors (and a little praying) the seas once again regained their composure and our boats remained unharmed.   Our anchor tethered to the bed of the sea gave us the faith and confidence to trust the storm would pass.

So, when in real life our “boats” are hit with a storm, what do you depend on for your anchor?  What keeps you from wandering from your safe cove in the stressful moments?  Maybe you resort to searching the kitchen for comfort food and binge eating, or maybe going on a sudden shopping spree, or other unhealthy distractions, calms your waters in the short run.  Believe me, I’ve been there!  But you and I know there’s only one anchor that holds us steady and strong enough to weather any storm – Jesus.  If we just stay anchored to His Sacred Heart, we are in the safest of all coves.   Let’s allow Jesus to be the true anchor of our heart and soul and the only one that keeps our life’s boat always on course. 

“So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.  We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.”  Hebrews 6:18-19