Anchored

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."Hebrews 6:19

It's either the gray hair, my recent birthday or it's all part of the human condition, but lately, I need Post-It notes to remind me of everything, even why my alarm is ringing.

And I've found my soul forgets, too. It forgets whose daughter I am, who holds my future and who anchors my boat. Lately, it needs reminding more often.

Maybe it's a girl thing?

The women closest to Jesus suffered forgetfulness, too. They thought all hope was gone that first Resurrection morning when they found Jesus' tombstone rolled away and his body missing! You can imagine their panic, "This can't be happening?! Who would steal our Lord's body? Where have they taken him? What will we tell the others?"

And at that moment, in the midst of their amnesia, God sent a reminder. Two angels appeared saying, "He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words" (Luke 24:6-8) and headed back to tell the disciples.

But, who would believe these women? Surely, the disciples would think them mad, overcome with grief? Maybe God knew that, too.

Matthew tells us, "Suddenly Jesus met them. 'Greetings,' he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.'"

God reminded these women not only of Jesus' own words of hope for the third-day resurrection, but God provided them a Jesus encounter; physical proof of this resurrection. Their resurrection hope met the reality of God's promise fulfilled. At that point their hope was fully anchored. Firm. Secure. Immovable.

And we need these reminders and Jesus-encounters, too.

Scripture serves as our reminder of this same hope - first Resurrection Sunday hope -  and anchors our souls firm and secure and immovable in God's promises. And community, meeting together with fellow believers in Christ, encouraging one another in faith, serves as our Jesus encounters - proof that He's alive through the power of his Holy Spirit in them and us.

There's certain people God placed in my life this weekend who served as encouragers of His hope and helped re-anchor my soul. They offered encouraging words, a prayer, a hug, a phone call and an email, turned my eyes back to God's word for my remembrance. To them, I'm forever grateful how God uses you in such a powerful way in my life and always at just the right time. 

Who has God placed in your life to help anchor you? Is there someone God's placed on your heart to speak encouraging words into their heart? Don't hesitate. Their soul needs help remembering and anchoring.  

Wise Children

"O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you." Psalm 8:1-2

The wisdom of children far surpasses my own, at times. That's why I always welcome their conversations. When I listen to them I'm getting a glimpse of God's heart. Here's a bit of God's wisdom, compassion and power some children have shared with me:

***

It had been an hour-long, Wednesday night praise service. I'd quickly rushed to the nearest empty seat in the middle section of our modern sanctuary and sat alone. I thought I was the only one aware of my surrounding empty seats . Then, during the benediction, a five-year-old girl slid down the long row of chairs to my side. "Hi! I'm Kaitlyn," she said with a sincere smile and sparkling blue eyes. "I thought I'd come sit with you so you wouldn't be alone anymore."

***

I shared a late summer walk around the block with my two-year-old granddaughter. She noticed the piles of dry, discarded leaves alongside the road. She soon discovered how they crunched beneath our feet as we walked. "Crunch, crunch, crunch!" she exclaimed each time, delighted in her new awareness. Then she found an itty, bitty red leaf in perfect form. "Awww. A baby leaf. So cute," she said, stopping to pick it up, examining it like a mother tending to her newborn. "So pretty, red." And she carried God's delicate treasure all the way home.

***

My daughter couldn't settle down for bed. She was just barely 18 months old and feeling out of sorts. I'd rocked her for over an hour and attempted to lay her down three times but each time she shrieked with pain. "What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" I asked.

With that old familiar tug, "My ear," she cried.

"Mommy will be right back with some medicine." I closed the door and whispered up a prayer. "Please, dear Jesus, we can't even afford Tylenol let alone a doctor's visit and Amoxicilin."

When I returned to her crib with a dropper, she greeted me with a big smile, laughing and jumping. "He fixed it, Mommy!" she squealed, pointing to a shelf of stuffed animals.

"Your ear?"

"Yes."

"Who fixed it?"

"He did!"

I pointed to each stuffed animal, Bert and Ernie, even to the characters on the covers of the books we'd read earlier.

"No, Mommy! HE fixed it," she insisted, pointing to the same shelf.

I was stumped. Then I remembered the prayer I'd whispered into thin air. But, Jesus couldn't have revealed himself to my baby girl, for real...could he? So, dismissing that possibility I asked, "Does this man have wings?"

Again she pointed, "No, Mommy! HE fixed it!"

I then pulled out the board book, Jesus and the Children, we'd read earlier and pointed to the picture of Jesus playing leap frog with smiling children. "Did HE fix your ear? Did Jesus fix it?"

Relieved and elated she jumped up and down, "Yes, Mommy. HE fixed it. He fixed my ear!"

"How?" I asked.

"He touched it," she said mater-of-fact, laid down and fell fast asleep for the entire night. She's never had an ear infection since then.

***

It never fails that when I'm in the presence of children, I see Jesus.

Lord, give me their eyes, their faith so that when they spend time with me, they see you, too.