Unexpected Anchoring

As a teenager, living near the Gulf Coast of Alabama, I went to the beach often. Back then, we didn’t use beach umbrellas as much. Or maybe I didn’t notice that my dad was the one always setting it up. 

Now that I live near the beach again, I was excited to take my three grown daughters when they visited recently. We packed all the new beach equipment, snacks, and drinks and drove to the beach. As we got there, we chose our spot and set up the chairs. Then, I pulled out the new beach umbrella. The four of us stared at it, got the umbrella canopy on, and then tried to figure out how to anchor it in the sand. It was a windy day, and I noticed that the people around us were all staring. No worries, I thought; they were just looking at the new arrivals on the beach.

But we struggled to decide how far into the sand the umbrella handle should go. We were perplexed by how to utilize the handles. It seemed none of us had the strength required to shove it any deeper.  So we convinced ourselves it was secure enough.

The beach neighbors' stares became more intense. We must have looked like a confused, motley crew because, before we knew what was going on, a lady on the patch of sand next to us came charging into our space.

She didn’t say ‘hello’ or "Would you like some help?" She just made a beeline for us, and before we knew what was happening, she got on her knees and started cranking that umbrella handle until it was deep in the sand. All the while saying, “You have such a nice umbrella here. It's such a beautiful day to be at the beach. The breeze is cooling us off from that hot sun.”  And once her work was finished, she was back on her feet and gone again as quickly as she came. The four of us looked at each other and wondered, what just happened? We shrugged, laughed, and began to enjoy our day at the beach. 

Later that night, I suddenly realized what she was doing. She was giving us, and all the people around us, the gift of safety. It was a windy day, and our ignorance about proper beach umbrella installation was putting others at risk. Our new friend knew what to do, and so she just did it. Her proactive work saved us, or someone else, from being impaled by a flying umbrella.

This week, God came to me just as unannounced. Trent and I received news that felt like a strong wind blowing against the direction we hoped to go, and I found myself standing in the sand again. I prayed and looked for ways to anchor down in the Lord, but because my spirit was still so anxious, I knew I hadn’t anchored deep enough. 

I did the things I knew to do. I prayed, spent time in the Word, gathered with other believers, but I still felt that wind, and I wasn’t settled. Friends had mentioned listening to Scripture to steady their hearts. I had some errands to run, so I put on the bible app and started listening. At first, I selected some favorite passages and thanked the Lord for them, but I was still struggling. I decided to go to Psalms and just let it play.

That was the moment the Lord made a beeline for my soul before I even saw Him coming! The words of Psalm 4 seemed to speak directly to me and for me. I replayed it over and over as I drove. I realized He was saying this for this situation, and these words were for my heart. He anchored me so deeply as He placed His hand on my sadness, worry, disappointment, and anxiety.

Phrases like: You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer… the Lord hears when I cry to Him.

Be angry and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on beds, and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord…Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord… In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

After the Lord spoke so clearly, I thought back to the woman who anchored my umbrella. She never asked if we needed help. She didn’t wait for an invitation. She just saw the wind, saw us fumbling, got down on her knees, and fixed it. Just like Jesus came — got down on His knees for us, lived the perfect life we couldn't live, and secured what we could never anchor on our own. He died so we could live, not because we finally figured out what to do, but because He simply did it. And He shows up for us again and again because this world is windy and we need His steady anchoring every day.

That’s exactly who God is to us. When He sees us struggling, He doesn’t wait for an invitation. He’s already on His knees beside us. Matthew 6:8 tells us God knows what we need before we ask.  He’s not waiting for us to figure it out. He already came to anchor what we could never secure on our own. So if you are standing in what feels like wind and sand today, look up. Someone already came. And He is not finished securing what confuses and concerns you yet.