The Anchor Holds

Our Keepsake Journal is Here! 🎉

Our family loves being out on the water. We are fortunate to live on the Gulf Coast of Florida, so we take our boat out often. Although we have both the bay and the Gulf to choose from, I prefer the Gulf because “that’s where the pretty turquoise water is,” as I like to tell my husband.

The problem is, we have a flats boat for backwater fishing in calm waters. The Gulf is more calm than the Atlantic, but some days the waters are still rough. That means that we get thrown around, splashed like crazy, and feel a good brunt of the waves.

We are well acquainted with our anchor. We often like to anchor the boat near shore and wade up to the beach. When the waters are rough, we set the anchor and it holds. Despite the wind and despite the waves, the anchor holds. But, it’s not always comfortable. The waves are strong, the sea-spray can cause a chill, and sometimes we get motion sickness from the swaying of the boat.

The anchor doesn’t make it a cushy venture, but it keeps us grounded and secure. It doesn’t take the discomfort away. But. It. Holds.

On this roller coaster of life, Jesus is the only effective anchor. He not only grounds us in times of trial, but His stability and foundation also enable us to live fully. His boundaries and truth, enrich our lives, allowing us to experience true contentment.

Life can be uncomfortable and challenging, but when we keep our gaze on Jesus and our faith in Him, we are grounded and secure—even in the storms. Regardless of what difficulties we may face, He remains our one sure thing. His anchor holds.

Yesterday started out rough. We woke up early and drove 30 minutes to an 8 a.m. cardiology appointment for my middle man. He has a minor heart condition that we discovered two years ago and monitor every six months. An impending surgery lies on the horizon, but each visit gives us hope that the surgery continues to be “down the road”. Until yesterday. Yesterday, we were officially referred to the pediatric cardiac surgeon.

Sigh.

Here we go . . . I’m going to have to put on my big girl britches and ready myself for this next journey. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to get carried away with worry. But, at the same time, my mama heart cringes at the thought.

I can see myself nervously pacing the halls while he’s in surgery. I can envision him writhing in pain during his recovery. I can see a zippered scar down his beautiful chest. I can hear the beeps of monitors. The thoughts of these images stir up a heaviness in my heart. And honestly, there’s a big part of me that remembers much too clearly standing in a cold hospital room as my youngest son made his journey to heaven just two short years ago.

Stay present, I whisper to myself. Focus on the here and now.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

I’m now faced with a choice.

How am I going to respond to this situation? This nerve-wracking trial I have no control over. This difficult journey my middle man will have to face, in which I would gladly take his place.

The truth is, I can’t control anything in this life except for one thing: my RESPONSE. I can control my response.

I breathe. I pause. I shift.

I shift my focus from the circumstance and fix my gaze on my savior. Speaking truth over my heart, peace envelopes me.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3

Our God is mighty, able to do anything. He may choose to miraculously intervene and eliminate this heart issue altogether. Or He may allow us to face the challenge of open heart surgery while walking alongside us the entire time.

Regardless of what comes, we have peace. And this assurance provides the peace that this mama’s heart needs to make it to the next day.

This amazing, supernatural peace that envelopes my heart and whispers in my ear, It will be OK. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I can take comfort in the fact that I know the One who holds tomorrow and He is worthy of my trust.

Friends, the storms of life are inevitable. I promise you, they will come. When they do, will you withstand? Are you allowing Jesus to be your anchor? Take His hand, trust in Him and allow Him to anchor your journey in life.

Originally published on the author’s blog

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Check out our new Keepsake Companion Journal that pairs with our So God Made a Mother book!

Order Now

So God Made a Mother's Story Keepsake Journal

Her View Shop

Summer Gordon

Born and raised in the sunshine state, Summer is a wife, mother, author and speaker whose passion is to help others fix their eyes on the eternal by looking beyond life’s circumstances. Summer and her husband, Reppard, are co-writing their first book, Walking Two Worlds, which was birthed out of the tragic loss of their five-year-old son. Most days, Summer can be found homeschooling her children and instructing infants in aquatic self-rescue skills. She enjoys decorating on a budget, and Reppard, because of his banking expertise, frequently reminds her to stay on that budget.

Going to Church with Kids is Hard but We’ll Keep Showing Up

In: Faith, Motherhood

Going to church is hard with young kids. It used to be something I looked forward to. It’s something I’ve always valued deeply and needed desperately. It’s the one place that will always be home regardless of what location or building it’s in or what people attend. Church is my sanctuary. But it’s become a battle with the kids’ resistance, my tired mind and body, and my lack of ability to actually listen to the sermon. Going to church is hard with young kids. It’s become normal for me to lie down in bed on Saturday night thinking, with dread,...

Keep Reading

I’m Praying for My Teenager in These Challenging Years

In: Faith, Motherhood, Teen

Teen boy holding a smartphone and wearing headphones

In my mid-40s, I began to long for a baby. We didn’t get much encouragement from friends and family. My husband is a high-functioning quadriplegic, and I was considered way too old to start a family. But our marriage was stable, we were used to obstacles, we were financially prepared, emotionally experienced, and our careers were established. I began to paint my own sublime mental portrait of parenting tranquility. What could go wrong? At 48, I delivered a healthy baby boy, and he was perfect. We adored him. The baby we had longed for and prayed for, we had. And...

Keep Reading

When Motherhood Feels Like a Limitation

In: Faith, Motherhood

Twenty-one years ago, my husband Troy and I welcomed our first son into the world. Two years later, I gave birth to another boy. And again two years later, and again two years after that. A fifth boy joined our family another two years later, and a final son was born 11 years after we began our parenting journey. If you were counting, you’re not mistaken—that’s six sons in just over a decade. We were overjoyed and more than a little exhausted. I remember feeling frustrated with the limitations of the little years with young children when I was a...

Keep Reading

The Day My Mother Died I Thought My Faith Did Too

In: Faith, Grief, Loss

She left this world with an endless faith while mine became broken and shattered. She taught me to believe in God’s love and his faithfulness. But in losing her, I couldn’t feel it so I believed it to be nonexistent. I felt alone in ways like I’d never known before. I felt helpless and hopeless. I felt like He had abandoned my mother and betrayed me by taking her too soon. He didn’t feel near the brokenhearted. He felt invisible and unreal. The day my mother died I felt alone and faithless while still clinging to her belief of heaven....

Keep Reading

Jesus Meets Me in the Pew

In: Faith

I entered the church sanctuary a woman with a hurting and heavy heart. Too many worries on my mind, some unkind words spoken at home, and not enough love wrapped around my shoulders were getting the best of me. What I longed to find was Jesus in a rocking chair, extending His arms to me, welcoming me into his lap, and inviting me to exhaust myself into Him. I sought out an empty pew where I could hide in anonymity, where I could read my bulletin if I didn’t feel like listening to the announcements, sing if I felt up...

Keep Reading

Can I Still Trust Jesus after Losing My Child?

In: Faith, Grief, Loss

Everyone knows there is a time to be born and a time to die. We expect both of those unavoidable events in our lives, but we don’t expect them to come just 1342 days apart. For my baby daughter, cancer decided that the number of her days would be so many fewer than the hopeful expectation my heart held as her mama. I had dreams that began the moment the two pink lines faintly appeared on the early morning pregnancy test. I had hopes that grew with every sneak peek provided during my many routine ultrasounds. I had formed a...

Keep Reading

5 Kids in the Bible Who Will Inspire Yours

In: Faith, Kids

Gathering my kids for morning Bible study has become our family’s cornerstone, a time not just for spiritual growth but for real, hearty conversations about life, courage, and making a difference. It’s not perfect, but it’s ours. My oldest, who’s 11, is at that age where he’s just beginning to understand the weight of his actions and decisions. He’s eager, yet unsure, about his ability to influence his world. It’s a big deal for him, and frankly, for me too. I want him to know, deeply know, that his choices matter, that he can be a force for good, just...

Keep Reading

Mad Martha, Mary, Mom, and Me

In: Faith, Living

Woman wrapped in a blanket standing by water

As a brand-new, born-again, un-churched Christian fresh in my new faith with zero knowledge of the Bible, I am steaming, hissing mad when I first read these words from Luke 10:38-42: “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell...

Keep Reading

I Can’t Pray away My Anxiety But I Can Trust God to Hold Me through It

In: Faith, Living

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t afraid. I was scared of people, of speaking, and even of being looked at. As I got older, I worried about everything. I was aware of the physical impact that stress and worry have on our bodies and our mental health, but I couldn’t break the cycle. I declined invitations and stuck with what I knew. Then we had a child who knew no fear. The person I needed to protect and nurture was vulnerable. There was danger in everything. It got worse. He grew older and more independent. He became a...

Keep Reading

Your Kids Don’t Need More Things, They Need More You

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood

Mother and young girl smiling together at home

He reached for my hand and then looked up. His sweet smile and lingering gaze flooded my weary heart with much-needed peace. “Thank you for taking me to the library, Mommy! It’s like we’re on a date! I like it when it’s just the two of us.” We entered the library, hand in hand, and headed toward the LEGO table. As I began gathering books nearby, I was surprised to feel my son’s arms around me. He gave me a quick squeeze and a kiss with an “I love you, Mommy” before returning to his LEGO—three separate times. My typically...

Keep Reading