Microtrawler

Teal

Chaplain’s Corner

The Anchor of my Soul

Installment Number Four

Mariner’s Passage - The purpose of this column is to share my reflections on the life of we mariners and the Creator of the seas. (Proverbs Chpt. 23 verse 34) We mariners have opportunity to experience the Almighty up close and personal in ways that others cannot.

By George Shannon
Bolger, Microtrawler & Teal builder.

I looked up how many times the word "anchor" appears in the Bible and according to my resource book, it is mentioned in Hebrews 6:19 and again in Acts where the account of a shipwreck makes mention of many anchors in Chapter 27. Great story by the way. My focus and reflections come from verse 19 in Hebrews Chapter 6. It states: "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and on which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."

This passage struck me in a couple of areas. First, it made me think of anything in this world I could trust or count on that would not move, let me down or disappoint me. So far, no anchor that I have tried on my boats has been perfect every time and so we have different kinds for different situations, bottom configurations, tides, currents etc,. I looked at many people who have come in and out of my life and certainly no steadfast anchors there. So as I have become more and more concerned about what in life is real and what is not, this passage brings me back around to God being the only place I can find things like truth, unchanging and steady. From my experience dropping and weighing the anchor on the two submarines I served on, the other two important components to the anchor, were the chain and capstan or cleat the chain is attached to on the other end. It seems to me that in the spiritual world of God, that the chain represents my faith response and certainly that changes in strength from day to day. When I am paying close attention to the Word of God in my life, the chain is strong and when I lean more to the things of the world the chain becomes a cord that can be stretched thin and even break my connection with Him. The capstan or cleat represents God’s covenant upon me, which is unchanging and unbreakable.

Second, this anchor goes beyond my life in this world and goes into the next through the veil where a place is being prepared for me. It is from there that God is speaking to me about the things I need to do to prepare for crossing the veil at my death into unchanging life. Each day I have a choice to be open to God moving in me to change me and show me His will in all my relationships, work and play. Each day He wants to teach me, mold me, grace me and enjoy sharing with me His great plan for my life. And so I have a new and different appreciation every time I lower an anchor into the water without knowing just where the bottom is or what it looks and acts like. Or how I may be tossed about on the water.