Extended breaks from classes often offers an opportunity to engage in an activity that rarely occurs in my home, cooking! The investment it takes to plan, purchase, and prepare a meal as a single person does not merit that type of effort on a regular basis, but when provided the luxury of an unscheduled day, the accumulated dust is washed off the pots and pans, the mixer is retrieved from the high cabinet above the stove, and ingredients are combined, typically for a meal that will be tossed into the slow cooker (or chocolate Chex mix)!

A solo cooking episode in my home is typically combined with some tunes from my mini speaker, whether that appears in the form of an existing playlist or a streaming service, and on this fall day, it happened to be songs the streaming service algorithm associated with the Bill Gaither Vocal Band. As a child of the 70s, being raised in a Christian home, I thought this was mandatory listening, especially I Am A Promise! Considering that my parents currently have no idea how to power on the radio in their car, I’m not sure how my sister ever chose a career in music or I sit here writing today about song lyrics, but I digress. On this particular day, a song from the 90s entitled The Anchor Holds belted across the house and the lyrics touched a tender place inside so I took a screenshot with the intent to investigate more at a later time.

Moving ahead a few months to a dedicated time to unplug, pray, and plan when, lo and behold, these Lasting Lyrics sang through my living room, resonating in such a personal way that salty tears flowed down my cheeks unheeded. In a season that feels akin to battling the Raging Seas, where my soul feels beaten and battered by uncertainty and doubt, I am reminded that I am connected to an anchor that will forever hold. No matter what emotions might be creating Raging Seas within me, I can confidently rely on my anchor, Jesus Christ, who grounds my faith in something far beyond my feelings of the moment. Throughout days when deep discernment and clarity is needed, my anchor holds even if answers aren’t revealed.

Most of us are currently living in a season of Raging Seas, as particularly evidenced in conversations with beloved colleagues and friends, and it can allow us to doubt our God-given callings and purpose; however, I am comforted by the fact that I know who wins in the end (Spoiler Alert). My anchor will securely hold even when I am beaten down by the Raging Seas of a devastating pandemic, an overwhelming awareness of being single, and uncertainty about how God desires to use my gifts and talents. If I am to create the Habits of a Flourishing Life, if I am to attempt to equip others to seek their abundant life, then I must be intentional to maintain a dependence that my anchor will Never Let Go, that my God “swims pretty good,” and He will remain steadfast in His promises to me.

As I sit here today, basking in the winter sunshine streaming through the blinds in my home office, researching the Lasting Lyrics to the song The Anchor Holds, I am once again Respectfully Mystified at how God communicates. Although my personal circumstances are quite different than those of Lawrence Chewning who penned the lyrics, it seems the emotions experienced are similar to my own current feelings, and I’m almost certain that many of the readers here can relate in a very personal way as well. I encourage you to follow the link below to the story behind the Lasting Lyrics, my hope is that you too will encounter a similar reminder that regardless of the Raging Seas around us, His anchor will hold.

Has there been a time when your faith provided the anchor to your Raging Seas? If you are comfortable sharing, I ask that you reply in the comments below, especially since someone else may benefit greatly from your story.

(After writing this post in early January 2021, I was drawn to a colleague’s post which also concerned the topic of anchors. I encourage you to read Dr. Chris Hobb’s post from July 31, 2019 entitled Anchors: How to keep people together in the storms of life.)

Reference:

Chewning, L. (2004). The Anchor Holds. Retrieved from https://lawrencechewning.com/the-anchor-holds