I have a hard time staying anchored to Christ I was reminded of this while working in the homestead. We have been expanding our little homestead and this year we decided to try raising a couple of turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas. When I went to order the gobblers from the hatchery, I found out that the minimum order size was 15. So our couple of turkeys escalated quickly to 15. That is kind of how my dreams work. I commit and then the task grows, but I have to do it now! You can pray for my poor wife.
I have been moving my turkeys with an electrical fence. This gives them fresh grass and to fertilize an area of steep hill I want to row plants in the Spring. The last spot they were at I left them there for too long and the hill turned into a muddy and poop smelling mess. Oops! I knew it was time to move them, so I started to pull up the fence one stake at a time while holding onto the netting of the fence.
Right after I pulled up a stake my feet began to slide down the hill. The only thing stopping me from a poop covered grave was a little stake in the ground. As I was sliding down the hill I was praying, “God please no! Help the stake to hold.” Stranded on the hillside I felt like Sylvester Stallone on Cliffhanger, however, it looked more like a guy with a dad bod and a thinning hairline pleading for his smell to remain the same. I shuffled my feet slowly away from the poo and survived the incident. It was a close one and I know that I wouldn’t have been allowed in the house to shower if that stake didn’t hold. I guess you could pretty much call me a hero.
Life is like that sometimes.
We start out with a small plan of raising a turkey, something simple and clean. The next second we are in over our heads two seconds away from filth that’s hard to bounce back from.
Often in life when the world goes sideways we either slide down to new smelly lows or we stay up high and dry. The only difference is if we have something to anchor to that holds. If we let go of the anchor we go on the world’s worst slide. If our anchor doesn’t, hold its that same lame ride. Only by holding firm and anchored to the right thing do we thrive.
The only anchor that I have found to hold no matter the circumstances is God. He never fails. I do find that the other being in the relationship is more fickle than God and that is me. I tend to get distracted and instead of being in union with God I get into the hurry of life. These 3 things help me stay in union and connected to an anchor that lasts.
Scripture Keeps us Anchored to Christ
Reading the Bible daily reminds of my creator. Heck it’s His words in there and reading them helps remind me of who He is and who I am because of what He has done. Read the Bible daily and memorize some of His words to remain anchored no matter the circumstances that you will walk through.
Silence and Solitude Keeps us Anchored to Christ
Arranging time to stop and be still before the Lord gives space for me to hear from Him. He is always speaking but often my mind and life is moving at such a pace that I’m not listening to Him. Getting alone and still before the Lord a few times throughout the day is a way that reconnects me in union with Him.
Nature
Being in nature reconnects me to God. He made nature and its beauty points to the Creator. Sitting on my porch looking at the majestic pine trees and hearing the birds and squirrels run around calms my heart. Nature is an echo of the Creator. It is His literal artwork. One of the exercises I do is remember a time on the Deschutes River at sunset. I visualize that moment with Jesus sitting with me and it invites me into worship of Him.
Nature, scripture, and silence and solitude are things I incorporate into my life in order to be anchored to Christ. God is our firm foundation and there are too many moments like poop hill that are too big for us without Him. Make sure your anchored to Christ today.
What helps you stay connected to God?
Amen!