Post #27 -- Anchored in Jesus (Part 1)

What holds you steady and on course when the chaos of life becomes unbearably harsh? Or when the perplexing questions of one’s heart simply don’t get answered?  Here’s what we are learning.  

I candidly shared during a previous post about our experience walking in the “fog” following our young grandson’s untimely, intentional death.  During this time we hurt deeply and were extremely busy caring for the deep needs of family members while still seeking to process our own grief.  In the fog and feeling somewhat disconnected from God, I found it difficult to focus on most things — including, surprisingly, my usual time alone with the Lord (which I’ll eventually explore more deeply with you).

If you’ve been following these posts, you know that they are generally about moving from a state of “simply surviving” life to one of “enjoying thriving” in life as we live a fulfilled life in the midst of chaos. My present question to myself is: but can I thrive in the midst of a major family crisis?

You also know that I often use these posts to help me hammer out my own feelings and convictions about the issue at hand.  I’m doing that again here.  In this case we hope to begin to make sense out of our feelings during this painful grieving process and to show how God is graciously meeting with us in a redemptive way.  The focus of this post (and that of the next several posts) is less on the dynamics of the death of our grandson and more on the journey as we’ve processed the grief associated with his death.

The fateful crash occurred on December 11, 2022.  As grandparents, we did what concerned grandparents do in situations like this. We jumped in the car and headed to our son’s home to comfort and assist in any way we could.  

The agony of grieving was intense.  Frankly, I have never experienced anything like it before.  I felt like I was living in a fog with nothing around me making sense.  I could focus on helping plan for the funeral, but everything else was swirling around me.  I felt like calling no one, though I did focus enough to call a few friends and family.  In the midst of all this we were informed that this death appeared to be intentional and I went into an even steeper downward spiral.  My appetite was gone and my breathing seemed more labored than normal.  I even felt strangely disconnected from God.  It was like He simply wasn’t there. This fact alone perplexed and confused me … and warrants unpacking.

One morning, in the midst of this intense grieving process with our son and his family, Marilyn shared that she felt that God had given her a special “one word” that night — “ANCHOR”. This immediately caught my attention because what she did not know was that God had placed that same word on my heart several weeks earlier when pondering Hebrews 6:18-19.  I’ve learned years ago that God frequently reveals His will to me through my wife — so God now had my undivided attention.  Since then this single word has become a very meaningful central focus for us as we continue trusting God through the grieving process.

Now, weeks later, Marilyn and I are in Florida, which for me is the best place for this warm-blooded Pennsylvanian to think, read, reflect, pray, and write.  In fact we are now sitting by the same pool at which several years ago, when my lung condition was just beginning to surface, that I confessed to feeling somewhat envious of the other rather elderly sun-worshippers proudly displaying their golden tans as I, dressed to the hilt, obeyed my doctors’ advice to avoid much sun due to the potential side effects of the new medicine I was taking.  You can read more about that on page 264 of my book, From a Dad … to Those Who Follow. 

Here in the warm Florida sun I hope to have some long talks with the Lord with the hope that some of this will begin to make some sense.  I hasten to add that what I write is not “final”.  As this grieving continues, I’m sure God will continue to reveal what He has for us to learn from this journey. Presently I write with mixed feelings — agonizing over the loss of our grandson, but also rejoicing with the assurance that our Anchor holds great anticipation that there will be some light at the end of this tunnel and that we might even thrive as a result of all this.

“Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.  This hope is a strong and trust worthy anchor for our souls.”  (Hebrews 6:18b-19 NLT)

Before going further, let me unpack that special verse a bit.”

Therefore … refers back to the first part of verse 18 —“So God has given both his promise and his oath.  These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.”  Because God can not lie, we can implicitly trust the rest of this verse!

… we who have fled to Him for refuge.  This is for followers of Jesus who are trusting in Him.  What a privilege we have to go to Him whether in crisis or simply for the warmth of relationship!  He is our refuge!  I’ve never noticed it before, but as I’ve been in the Scriptures recently, I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of times God’s Word reminds us that HE is our secure refuge and shield from all danger and loneliness.

… can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.  I love the “great confidence”.  Our hope is not something we are merely thinking might happen. Our hope is an assured thing we can anticipate as we flee to Him for refuge — and a much better life awaiting us!

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.  Praise God for this hope that is a strong and trust worthy anchor of our souls.  And when this hope is based on Jesus, what He does for us now and what He has promised us for the future, we are ANCHORED IN JESUS!

Hebrews 6:18b-19 has become our banner verse.   

While not using the exact term per se again in Scripture with respect to faith relationships with the Lord, many verses other than Hebrews 6:18-19 express the same idea that we are anchored in Jesus as our rock, our foundation, our steadfast security.  Just to name a few:

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” (Ps  62:5-6)

“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Ps 61:2)

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”  (I Cor 3:11)

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)  

"From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”   (Psalm 61:2) 

To me, being anchored in Jesus is to have a solid unshakeable faith in the sovereign Lordship of Jesus Christ, to rely on His constant faithfulness, and obey His Word such that I can remain calmly rested and secure in the worst of circumstances as I maintain an eternal perspective — all to the glory of God. 

As I said, the fact that I encountered “living in a fog” and a sense of feeling “somewhat disconnected from God” puzzled me deeply — so much so that I hesitate writing about that even now.  But I’m learning that this is part of real life and I need to be candid with myself and  with you.

During this time of reflecting on this grieving process, I am doing what I often do in times of distress — I turn to God’s word and carefully study my devotional journal entries for possible  insights, and answers.

Reviewing that journal has been extraordinarily rewarding and I want to share some of that with you.  Unfortunately this will get too long to cover here.  Please keep reading.  In “Anchored in Jesus (Part 2)”, we’ll take a candid stroll through my journal.

Friends, in the meantime, know that the anchor still holds in spite of the storm!  Lawrence Chewning victoriously sings about this in “The Anchor Holds”.  Enjoy it with me!