This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
As I read the word anchor, I could not help but think about a boating trip I took when I was 21. While Steve and I were dating, he called and asked if I could come to his house. I got to his house later than planned, and he told me we had to hurry to get down to my parents’ place on Lay Lake. I remember him driving like a madman. For some reason, he was worried about getting down to the lake before dark and a coming thunderstorm. When we arrived, he almost ran to the boat. As he was starting the engine, he told me to jump in. Being the logical person that I am, I did not think we should go out in the boat when rain was on the way and I could see lightning in the distance. No one wants to be on a big aluminum pontoon boat in the middle of a thunderstorm. He told me to trust him and get in the boat. Against my better judgment, I got in. He pulled the boat out about 50 yards into the lake and stopped. I figured that he must have come to his senses and we were turning back. Then he walked back to where I was sitting, got down on one knee, proposed, and put a ring on my finger! His plan had been to go out on the boat and propose to me at sunset. My lateness and the coming thunderstorm put a kink in his plan, but my answer was still the same!
He quickly brought the boat back to shore, and we ran inside to call everyone and tell them the good news. In all our excitement, we forgot one very important thing: we forgot to tie up (anchor) the boat to the pier. When we went back outside, the boat had started to float off.
I have never really thought about the symbolism of that event until today. On that day, we were so caught up in the moment that we forgot about anchoring our boat. During our marriage, we have many times been so caught up in the events of our lives that we forgot about our anchor, Jesus. Unlike during our engagement night, we are always tied to this anchor, and He will not allow us to drift too far. We have drifted at times, but thank you, Jesus, you won’t let us go too far because the ANCHOR HOLDS!
I guess the weather that night could have also been a foreshadowing of things to come. Instead of the peaceful sunset proposal that Steve was planning, the background was lightning bolts coming down in the distance. The last fifteen years have not always been smooth sailing; many different storms have come. Sometimes the storms just seemed too big. I was afraid we would sink, but the anchor holds in spite of the storm! Praise God!
Here is a great video of the song The Anchor Holds by an unknown singer on YouTube. It speaks to many of the different storms we face in our lives. Please watch the video and let the message touch you. Use it as a time to pray for those you know who are going through storms.
