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Anchored
By Christina Quick | September 24, 2008
The beach photo from my previous post was taken at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland.
This barrier island is home to the same bands of wild ponies described in the children’s book Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry.
My daughter is a big fan of the book, and of all animals everywhere, so getting to visit Chincoteague and Assateague made her one happy camper. (Chincoteague is the Virginia side of the island.)
We pitched a tent just off the beach where we could hear the crashing surf throughout the night. It wasn’t the gentle, lulling sound of some distant ebb and flow. It was as turbulent as a thunderstorm. The bright stars, visible through the screen roof, were my only reassurance nature was still at peace.
There are virtually no permanent structures on Assateague, unless you count a few cinderblock showers that yield only cold water. No condos. No motels. No strip malls. No street lights. Just a wild, wind-swept spit of sand that is forever shifting and changing. Strange as it may seem, this is my kind of place.
In such a setting, you can’t help but think about God. Even the challenges of primitive living remind me of my reliance on Him.
The first problem presented itself shortly after we arrived. We had brought along extra-long tent stakes, just as the park’s Web site advises. But the stakes somehow wriggled free from the tent’s webbing and almost immediately became lost in the sand.
“This is like the Bible story of the foolish guy who built his house on the sand,” remarked our 11-year-old, who was clearly amused.
Fortunately, my husband and I had already devised a backup plan. We filled gallon milk jugs with sand, attached the handles to the tent with lengths of cord, and used a shovel to bury them deep. The makeshift “deadman anchors” held our humble shelter firmly in place.
Next time, we agreed, we won’t even bother with stakes in a situation that calls for anchors.
I wonder how many times we make that error in our spiritual lives. It’s easy to stake a claim in Christianity, proclaiming our place in God’s kingdom. But when everything around us starts to shift, faith can easily slip away unless it’s anchored securely in God’s Word.
I sure don’t want to be like that foolish guy. Makes me want to dig in a little deeper.
Topics: Faith |
