What is your Anchor in Life?

I was blessed to go to a conference in Atlanta this past weekend about helping people deal with trauma. Loving people are trying to learn the best ways to guide the hurting to find hope and healing. Many have gone to school 6-9 years to get the education and training necessary to qualify them to be competent counselors.

When we arrived at our hotel on Friday, I noticed the office looking building next to the hotel said, "Buckhead Church." "Well, that is weird. That wasn't here last year, and I wonder if it is really a church...but I can't imagine a company calling a business building to lease office space "Buckhead Church", " I rambled on in my thoughts to my driving companion.

On Sunday Morning I had a few hours open, so looked in the phone book and called the Buckhead Church. I found out that indeed it was a church and I just missed the beginning music. Well, I love praise and worship, but didn't have the time available to wait until the next service so I threw on my jacket and headed across the street.

Asking for directions to the sanctuary, I found myself in a huge room, auditorium - like a giant movie theater. There was a life size huge middle screen with the projected pastor speaking his message about wisdom and two smaller screens on each side of the front.

After listening a few minutes, and looking for an open seat, I settled on an aisle spot behind the sound board. I did not have many options. Since I didn't want to look at the huge projected image of a pastor's recorded sermon - it just felt a little distant and impersonal - I looked to the screen on the right. We have these side screens at my home church for those who want to see a little more detail or a better angle of our pastor who is actually present on the stage speaking.

Settling into the message, I had a strong sense that I knew this pastor. Flipping all over the Sunday Bulletin, I found no staff name. The sermon was strong, and very solid based on Proverbs 1:20-33. It was an interesting comparison to what was being taught as wisdom in the conference I was attending that did not include the Bible or God of Abraham, Issac or Jacob (Jehovah) in the healing process. It wasn't that a person couldn't speak of Him. It was just that He was just one of the many cafeteria selections in the language of a higher-self, soul, spiritual belief. It seemed easier for people to embrace talk about energy, color, and inner core than a real powerful, all-knowing, living, creator God, Jehovah. And I am not sure, but I got a sense that 'Jesus' might be a 'off-limits, roll-your-eyes, oh-one-of-those' type of words.

Truly there is much to be learned by listening to seeking, kind, caring people trying to grasp concepts larger than their own capability or understanding. It was a struggle to finding the acceptable words to apply toward practical experience. Does "it" reside in the brain, or a cell, or the whole body? Is "it" in the body, or out? Is "it" part of the mind or in the mystery of inter-connecting mesh tissue between nerve, skeletal, connecting/smooth and cardiac tissue? Did "it" go through the neutrons of the spine or those of the organs of maybe travel into each and every cell? Core self, inner-self, conscious, unconscious, primitive terms seems to resonate as acceptable words to speak.

As I left the church service, I found myself in the bookstore looking for a 'gift' for the conference leader. I found a DVD on Hope in Hurting, and discovered that I had been in a statelite church of Andy Stanley, son of Atlanta's Charles Stanley. I knew the DVD wouldn't have his type of lingo in it but still he might be able to glean some truth from it. I returned to the conference, fully energized and enlightened by an hour of hearing the Word of God, I was beaming with joy and love. I listened intently to the rest of the seminar with ears open to hear what truth could be found.

On Tuesday night I thought, I might put the copy of the CD in a player to hear the same message I gave the conference leader. I figured I might as well know what message I sent with him back to New York.

God is good, as always. As I was listening a Bible passage rang a comparative word to the seminar. The word was 'anchor'. The therapist were learning how to anchor images, trauma scene, areas needing therapy, to anchors in order to build a frame or grid to do therapy in. The first anchor given was the lower ear lobe, as the four corner grid was built upon brainspots.

Hearing anchor on the CD reminded me of the seminar, and the comparison was stark. The message was explaining that Jesus was our anchor in times of trouble, more specifically the cross of Jesus was our anchor point. Hmmm, my lower ear lobe, or Jesus.... Which anchor would I want in the midst of a twin tower 9-11 disaster? What if I was raped, a victim of incest, mourning/grieving a death what or who could be the best anchor? If I lost my house, our income, or my health to a horrible disease, who or what could hold me from drowning?

Listen to Hebrews 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever.

Living on the side of victory, in Christ you will always win. In this world there will be trouble. Terrorist will attack. People will be raped. Babies will be killed in the womb. Loved ones will be murdered. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, fires and floods will come. Children and spouse will always be abused and abandoned. Alcohol and drugs will reck havoc in lives. Families members and friends will die of cancer and all other kinds of accidents and diseases.

But don't skip over this truth - there is an anchor when troubles come. There is truth to build the foundation of your life on. All good things come from God. All trouble comes from Satan, the evil one.

This is the outcome of the final bell in the 'ring of life'. God has already been awarded the victory belt over this life. God wins! This victory is anchored to the final blow of Satan at Calvary's cross where Jesus was crucified.

Satan spilled out all the horror, evil, and trouble he could onto Jesus. Yes, Jesus suffered and died. But fortunately for all mankind of every tribe, every Nation, every time period in History, Jesus was and is victorious at the cross. He died. He was buried. And, He ROSE!

This is the anchor. This is the certain hope. The victory of the cross is the sure and steadfast anchor of our soul.

No matter how much trouble comes our way. No matter how deep we fall into the disconnected deep pit of dispair. We have a place to secure all of our needs for love, acceptance and attachment. In Christ, in a personal relationship with Christ, we always have a hopeful end. God is continually doing a good work. What Satan meant for evil, God will use for good in your life.

Has your life been one big hellacious rough sea and storm after another? You can rest now. You can let go, when you anchor your life into Jesus. You no longer have to hang on or hold it all together. He will be carrying you. He seals you with the Holy Spirit. You will never be abandoned or alone. You can quit trying to "do". It is already done!

Let God show you the way to your individualistic perfect healing path. Allow Him to transform you as He does His work and will in you, through you and for you.

We all know life doesn't end like a fairy tale - 'and they lived happily ever after and rode off into the sunset.' But it can end in the solid truth of "God wins"! By walking in faith in God we can live a spirit-filled, abundant life even in the deepest times of grief, loneliness, hurt and trials.

Remember, "This is the hope we have as an anchor of the soul...Jesus...!"