anchor.

Over a sandwich and salad at Quiznos, she told me about ships. We had escaped the Nicaraguan heat yet again in the cool, air conditioned room but hot tears still slipped down my cheeks. She held my arm as I focused on breathing - in and out, in and out - while forcing myself to listen to the words of truth she was speaking over me.

And she told me about these ships - these huge, grand things that travel over many miles to carry things, people, baggage. But when they come to a harbor, their bottoms are too wide, their motors sit too deep to enter. So they send a group of sailors, brave and strong, in a smaller boat...with the anchor. This group carries the anchor into the harbor and drops it there in shallow, calmer waters.

And there it remains, this hunk of metal, burying itself into the sand.

While the ship is out in the deep, murky water, the anchor is sunk deep in the safety of the harbor. And when the storm comes - and it will come, she tells me with kind, wide eyes - the ship may be tossed to and fro in the turbulent, heavy, crashing waves of the storm...but the anchor remains. No matter what, the ship is still anchored to the harbor. It may feel rocky and scary and confusing out there but the anchor firmly sits, holding the boat close to safety.

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." As she reads the words out loud, something changes within me. A sliver of light seems to shines through and a peace which surpasses all understanding washes over me as I hear about this anchor of hope.

Our souls are anchored to Him. Ella, your soul is anchored to His heart. The hope this Hebrews verse speaks of comes from a covenant God who sees His people and whose constant, unfailing love never falters. He is the safe harbor. He is the anchor of the soul. He is this hope.

I write it there, in that dear, worn book of mine, to always remember: My soul is anchored to His heart. And it is a good Heart.