My anchor

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:18-20 (NIV)

Just like E.F. Hutton, when God speaks, I listen. Usually, I know He’s speaking when I hear the same message over and over from different sources. For example, this week, a friend, from what appeared to be the blue, announced to me, “Hope, it’s the anchor for our souls.” Her words echoed in my head all day. Why would I be told that now? Then, yesterday, there it was again in an interview on ABC with the Stephen Curtis Chapman family about the death of their youngest daughter, Maria, eleven weeks ago. People all over the world are watching to see how this very public Christian family deals with this loss. “What will happen to their faith?” people whisper. “Where was God when their seventeen year old son accidentally ran over his sister with the car in front of all the other children?” The Chapmans were clear where they get the strength to rise up out of bed each day and continue on with their life and ministries. Again, I heard the words, “Hope is the anchor for our souls.” Stephen Curtis Chapman described a scene moments after the accident when God gave him the clarity to think beyond his own hurt to his son. He felt compelled as he drove away to the hospital to shout to his son, “Will Franklin, your father loves you.” Then, this morning in a radio interview with the Stephen Curtis Chapman’s manager and friend, the same phrase was spoken, “They have anchored their lives on the hope of God’s love and faithfulness.” Now, my overactive imagination was in gear. God must be telling me that some tragedy is about to befall me or the ones I love. He is preparing me for something horrible to happen. I wrestled down that trick of Satan to make me afraid and anxious. Then, a new thought struck me. I am ashamed to admit in the midst of a discussion about the devastating tragedy experienced by the Chapman family that I have been in the dumps the last couple of weeks not because something horrible has happened, but simply because I had to come back to work after a wonderful vacation. It is so noticeable that several people have stopped to ask me if I feel alright. They say I look tired. I am and some of it is from fighting off a sinus infection, but mostly, I just have the blues. Despite the fact that some exciting things are happening for my children and that we are all blessed beyond measure. I was thinking about the messages of hope that God has been sending my way and realized that our faith in God is not only our hope in times of joy and of sorrow, but He is also God even in the routine. Perhaps, we need to hear His voice the loudest when the drudgery of life threatens to overtake us. “Your Father loves you _____________!” Fill in the blank with your own name here.