Are you anchored?

“I felt trapped in the misery of my life. Lost in the sorrow of my soul.” These words hit me like a ton of bricks. They were spoken by a little girl who was displaced from her home and family. She appeared to only be about 9 years old. There was no normalcy in her life. She grew up watching her father drink to intoxication, then watching her mother become his punching bag. She was also physically abused by her father. She protected her younger brother the only way she knew how. That was until she was taken from her parents. Separated from her younger brother. She felt trapped and lost. Not just on the surface, but in her soul. A soul filled with sorrow.

Her story reminds me of how many of us feel when faced with the storms of life. In Acts 27:20, we see that there was a bout of hopeless. “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.” Issue after issue. The darkness begins to outweigh the light. We are overcome with misery and sorrow. Job loss. Death. Infidelity. Wayward children. Lack of promotion. Self-doubt. Barrenness. Homelessness. Foreclosure. Divorce. Separation. Sickness. Hopelessness.

The question becomes, how do you overcome? More specifically, how do you overcome feeling lost in the sorrow of your soul?

Sorrow is defined as a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others. It’s synonymous with sadness, misery, and depression. It’s a common feeling and experience. But it doesn’t have to become a constant. When sorrow is felt in the soul, it should be temporary.

Soul can be defined as the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being. It’s a special part of us that allows us to tap into our full potential. The place where we are able to see beyond our present reality. This is the part of us that keeps us inspired and hopeful. It’s the part of us that reminds us that there is a God bigger than our situation. A God who can do the impossible. A God that can whisper miracles into existence.

The songwriter reminds us,

“The billows may roll, the breakers may dash
I will not stray because He holds me fast
So dark the day, clouds in the sky
I know it's all right 'cause my Jesus is nigh”

Yes! Storms are bound to come! But we overcome the storms by anchoring our soul in the Lord. An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The vessel and craft are you. The bed of a body of water is the Lord. You control the anchor. The metallic bind of your anchor starts with your decision and is tightened by your commitment. Don’t miss that! You must make a firm decision and commitment to connect with God and to stay connected to Him. Once anchored, your anchor, decision and commitment will be tugged at. You will be challenged. But no worries! The Lord, your God, is your strength and will never let you drift too far! Staying anchored in the Lord will ensure that we do not get caught up and overtaken by the waves of life, regardless of how strong they might be. Sure, we’ll feel the winds strongly blowing around us. But your anchor will ensure that that you withstand every wind and wave that comes your way.

Don’t be lost in the sorrow of your soul. Get anchored!