day 5: an anchor that cannot be moved

[ba-dropcap size”4″]S[/ba-dropcap]o I can tell you this about moving time and transitions: The days are harder than the normal days at home, there will seem to be a mountain of tasks ahead of you to finish, and there appears to be little reward in the work of it all. Discouragement, worry, fear and control all start to look like reasonable options, and this is when I know I need to tie myself to an anchor that will hold.

I reach for words of truth, and they speak peace to my fear, freedom to my control and courage to my discouragement.

I will never leave you, I will never forsake you. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is my love for you. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep, the sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night. Those who look to him are radiant, their faces are never covered in shame. In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. God is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me by quiet waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his names’ sake. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me.

When I feel alone and no one understands, I choose the truth: I am never alone, I am deeply understood, everything about my life and my circumstances is known to God.

When I am afraid because of the unknowns ahead, I choose the truth: God’s plans for my life are only good, he has provided for my every need, I am safe, nothing and no one can harm me.

When I am exhausted because of the move or my children or my emotions, I choose the truth: He has prepared rest for me, I can choose to rest in my soul even if the life around me is stressful.

Anchoring my life in the truth has to change the way I parent my kids. Instead of letting their stress and whining drag me down into harsh, impatient words uttered back to them, I can build them up with words of truth. I can’t do it, the regular whine of my kids when they are frustrated or tired, and they hear this back from me, You can do it. You can do all things through Jesus who gives you strength. You can do it.

The week the movers came, I started the morning either at the dining table or in the car, by telling my kids, This is the day that God has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. I don’t know why those words came to my mind, there are many other words in the Bible that are more encouraging to me, but I needed something short, and words that would give me and them hope. We said it almost daily for weeks, and it anchors us in the truth.

We are moving today, we are busy today, the weather is not nice today, I didn’t get what I want today, but. This is the day that God has made. We are safe, he made this day. We are cared for, he made this day. We can trust because he made this day. We are not in charge, he made this day. We are in the hands of a loving, good, father, and this day with all the tensions and struggles and disappointments, he made it. We are going to be ok, and we can rejoice and be glad in it. He is in charge, and he frees us to rejoice, to be glad, and to move forward.

Now it’s your turn: Whatever transition you are in right now, stop and take the time to write down a few words that will anchor you in truth. What will you hold on to?

I’m linking up with Jennifer and Holley.