My body is having an inflammatory reaction to something as yet undetermined.
Sometimes, when I experience a new symptom or my doctors order a new test, it feels like being tossed about, untethered. I have so many questions, yet I rarely get answers to them. I want the security of knowing that an answer is out there, we only need to find it. But we are not promised answers and in my experience with rare disease, we rarely get them. Doctors have limited understanding. Medicine has limited efficacy. I need stability and security but I won’t find those at the doctor’s office. The only way to feel secure is to anchor myself in the unchanging character of God.
Journaling helps. I pour out my emotions in words, prayers to God who listens to every whine, every complaint, every plea to “make it stop.” When I have the discipline to journal all my crazy thoughts, I find that in a very short time the words slow, my emotions settle and I feel grounded. A verse or a promise memorized years ago fills my mind, anchoring me in the truth of God’s word. Anchored anew, I find I can return my attention to the present and move on to the things that need my attention this day.
It is this anchor image that the writer of Hebrews refers to in chapter 6:
“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” – Hebrews 6:17-20 NIV
ANCHORS for the soul
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Doesn’t that bring to mind the image of a ship’s anchor? Just imagine a classic anchor with its prongs sunk deep into the ocean bed, a heavy chain stretched from the ring at the top to the ship above water. A heavy anchor can keep even the biggest ship secured in place, no longer in danger of being swept away in a strong current.
Did you know there is a different kind of anchor that doesn’t secure a ship to the ground? It’s called a Sea Anchor. It looks a bit like a parachute with a hole at the top and it stays on the surface of the water. It is attached to the bow of the ship and acts a bit like brakes on a car. Sea anchors are used during large storms at sea when a traditional anchor would not be able to sink deep into the sea bed or would be dragged along the sea bed by strong winds. The sea anchor is designed to fill with water, allowing only a little water through the hole at the top. This pulls the bow of the ship into the wind making it less likely for the ship to get hit broadside by a rogue wave causing the ship to capsize. In a tempest, the sea anchor is a ship’s only chance at survival.
Now, isn’t that interesting. The same word, “anchor,” used for firmly securing a ship to land is also the same word for pointing a ship into the wind during a storm. The omniscient character of God has grounded me time and time again when medical knowledge has failed me. The sovereignty and faithfulness of God keep me focused forward, towards eternity when my body will be healthy and whole, no longer surprising us with unexplainable brokenness.
AN UNCHANGEABLE GOD
Our bodies aren’t the only things that change. Gas prices increase. Kids grow taller. The house wears out. Nothing stays the same.
Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, said, “change is the only constant in life.” That may be true about this physical life on earth, but it’s isn’t true about God. And aren’t we glad?
God has always been everything that he still is. And who God is today is exactly who he will always be. This is called the immutable character or attribute of God.
- The God who fulfilled his promise to the Israelites and brought them to the Promised Land will fulfill his promise to me and bring me into his presence in Heaven.
- The God who sent a Messiah to conquer death is the same God who will resurrect my broken body, never to be broken again.
- The God who promised to never leave me or forsake me will always be with me, wherever my journey takes me.
When I’m feeling overwhelmed and my heart is yearning for peace and hope, I know I can find it in the unchanging character of God.
Living in a broken body that keeps changing and bringing new uncertainties, it is my great joy to know personally a God who never changes. He doesn’t promise to heal my body or give me answers, but he promises he will never leave me. If that’s the one thing I can count on in this life, it is enough.
When do feel most untethered? How has God’s character anchored you? I’d love to read your answers in the comments.
Encouragement for You
Life with rare disease is hard. Living it with friends makes it easier. I’d love to be your encourager as you endure this rare disease life. Let me start by sending you a list of 12 Verses to Help You Endure. I’d love to send it to you now.
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Book Review: The Scars that have Shaped Me
Blog, Book ReviewNicole O’MearaSeptember 7, 2021book review, lament, rare disease, chronic disease, scars
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DEVOTIONAL: Why, O Lord?
BlogNicole O’MearaJune 30, 2021devotional, lament, Rare Hope Series
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about How to Live an Anchored Life when Rare Disease Untethers & Overwhelms You — Nicole O’Meara.
