The Anchor Holds

There comes a time in your life when you are at a crossroads, and you don’t even know why you are there. How can you move on if you don’t know what got you there in the first place?

I am at a place where I can see certain paths that I know I don’t want to tread on. Yet they seem appealing. People around me even think they are valid paths, but they feel sneaky, strange, and not at all where I believe God is leading me right now. I am conflicted, I know what I want and what it should look like, but my choices these days are not exactly what I had hoped to be faced with. I am not sure I can trust my own choices right now.

I am desperately holding on to the anchor that holds, and that has held me steady and given me stability. Some days, my grip on that anchor is firm, steady and nothing can shake it. But, there are days when my hands are slippery, the hold seems weak. On these days, I try to remind myself of the goodness of God. I look back at the things He has done for my family and I and fall into a state of gratitude. I make sure I surround myself with affirmations from God’s word and inform a couple of trusted family and friends who also uplift me through scripture, affirmations and reminders that God is good. Above all, I pray- I tell God exactly how I feel and ask Him to help me. Some days, I find it hard to talk to God and just stay in His presence.

Does this method work all the time? Honestly, sometimes it’s a combination of all the above that helps on hard days. Sometimes, one is sufficient, again, a combination of some of them will do the trick, then I am back to a firm hold on the anchor. The key is to trust in the Lord always and not on your own understanding. God is faithful to the promises He has made in His word! I will believe them and do my part. He has never failed, and He won’t fail now because of me.

Recently, I read the story about Lawrence Chewning, the writer of the song, “The Anchor Holds” and on his website, he narrated the story behind the song. I was comforted knowing that Christians go through challenges but holding on to the anchor, Jesus, helps and it turns out beautiful in the end. Reading his story reminded me that faith does not exempt us from storms. It reminds us that we do not face them alone.

During our family fellowship lately, we have come to the conclusion that God assures us that He will be with us in the fire or flood. Many scriptures tell us to hold on to the end, for the reward that is promised. Guess what? It may not be in this lifetime. Sometimes God's definition of "victory" looks different from ours. It isn't always the removal of the storm. Sometimes it is His presence through it. Now, don’t let this news frighten you. It will be well. In the journey, God will never abandon you, but you must know that this journey isn’t for the faint-hearted. In Matthew 28: 20, God has promised to be with us till the end of the world! That is one huge promise, and God never fails!

Today, I was at that place where my grip was shaky. My mind was struggling to remember the things I needed to be thankful for, which is hilarious, because we just got off a high- an answer to prayers. I tried to pray– I could barely string words together. I wanted to worship, but my heart remembered my sadness and wouldn’t praise. I stared at my Bible in defiance. Looking back, I see a petulant, sulking, pampered child. Thankfully, I was able to identify my funk, and a call to a trusted loved one put me back in the right perspective, and my heart remembered gratitude again.

As I reflected on this, I realized something - the strength of my faith was never really the point. It is the strength of the Anchor that truly matters. My faith is subject to the things I see, my victories (and challenges), as well as the promises I can remember per time. The anchor is sure, steady, unshaken.

There will be days when my prayers are eloquent, and there will be days when all I can offer God is silence. There will also be days when gratitude comes easily, and days when I have to deliberately remind my heart of His goodness. Of course, this means there will be days when my grip feels strong, and days when my hands tremble as I try to hold on. One thing is sure - the Anchor remains unchanged.

Jesus has never asked me to be strong enough to carry myself through every storm. He simply asks me to keep my eyes on Him, to hold on, even if all I have left is the strength to whisper, "Help me."

Maybe that's what faith really is. Not pretending the storm isn't raging, or that we're okay when we're not. Maybe it is choosing, over and over again, to trust the One who promised never to leave us.

So, my friend,  if today finds you at a crossroads, uncertain of the road ahead or questioning your own judgment, don't panic.

Hold on.

Not because your grip is strong, but because the Anchor still holds.

You are loved, incredibly and absolutely!