Get anchored

Well, I’ve just returned from a fabulous cruise to the Caribbean. Seven glorious days on sea and land with some of my best friends and church family. It couldn’t get any better. So now I’m back at the keyboard trying to make good on the promise I made to you and myself last week. As far as my exercise goes, I got more than enough on the cruise. I walked miles both on the ship and when we went ashore, and I also took advantage of the state-of- the-art gym, sauna and spa on board ship, so by the time we set sail for home my clothes felt roomier, and I looked and felt better. How about that? So now I’m back and catching up on some much needed sleep. You know no one sleeps on a cruise.

But anyway, this week I want to comment on a book I just finished reading. It’s The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and it tells of the life of Esther Greenwood, a young student fashion writer, whose troubled life closely resembled Sylvia’s. In the book she says, "I’ve tried to picture my world and the people in it as seen through the distorting lens of a bell jar." The book itself ends on a hopeful note, but as some of you may know, Sylvia Plath committed suicide. Her mother said that Sylvia was overwhelmed by trying to keep up with her writing and with the demands of her domestic life.

The idea of someone at the pinnacle of her success ending her life seems unthinkable, but it happens all too often. This is why I cannot overemphasize the importance of being anchored to God. It is He who gives us the strength to live from day to day. It is He who helps us to stay on the surface when the currents of life threaten to pull us under. Please, give your life to Him today, and watch Him take over.