Will your anchor hold?

This is the name of the hymn in worship this week.  Will your anchor hold?  It seems to me that our anchors are being tested during this pandemic.  Where have you anchored?  Is it solid?

Have you actually thrown or released an anchor?

For me, it was one of the stressful parts of sailing.  We had a sailboat on Georgian Bay and we loved spending time in the many anchorages, to stay a few days and explore the area.  To do this, you had to set an anchor.  You enter the area slowly and gauge the distance between the boats already there.  Then pick the spot you think gives you enough room to set an anchor and "swing".  For us, this became a family affair.  One at the bow giving directions and ready to throw the anchor, one relaying the detailed directions (so that you're not yelling) and one at the wheel.  (I could never imagine how solo sailor's manage to do this.)  Once the boat is manoeuvred to the spot, the anchor is tossed.  Now the person at the wheel has to switch to reverse.  Enough "rode" (cable and line) needs to be let out and then you have to pull on the anchor enough to ensure it is set.

Sometimes this goes smoothly.  Sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes it takes more than one attempt.  And at a busy anchorage, you can be assured that you have an audience.  There has been many a collision in an anchorage!  In fact, most boaters carry a pole they can use to push a boat away if it's getting too close.

Once the anchor's set, you can't assume that all is OK.  You need to keep an eye on where you are in the water relative to the other boats and shore to make sure you aren't dragging.  With only one anchor from the bow of the boat, the boats "swing".  When you go to sleep at night, you will be facing a different direction than when you wake in the morning.  So, again you need to be sure that you are well-positioned.  

We were at an anchorage where a boat dragged and went aground overnight.  Another time it stormed overnight and several boats were dragged.  We saw a massive boat (75-feet) trying to use a small anchor that would never hold its mass.  We saw a boater try to set the anchor so many times we lost count, and then he'd move to another spot and start again.  And we also saw skilled boaters who could come in after dark and back in to tie off to another boat and throw anchors for the boats to be "rafted" together.  

And then when it's time to leave the anchorage, the whole thing is done in reverse to pull up the anchor.  Our worst experience at this was realizing we had caught an underwater cable with our anchor.  If we couldn't get free, we'd have to cut and leave the anchor.  Of course, this happened during a storm and with company on board.  Fortunately, our teamwork and forcing ourselves to stay calm led to a successful end.

So when I heard the hymn this week was "Will your anchor hold?" it brought back lots of memories.

From my sailing experience, I see this involves many factors.  The type of ground, the depth, where it's positioned, that it's better with a team than on your own, and that adjustments may be needed.

Where is your anchor?  Is it in need of some adjustment?  The pandemic is going to be with us for the foreseeable future.  If you feel your anchor is slipping or not set, stay calm and don't let stress cloud your ability to reset.  Know that God's love is holding you.