It's About More Than A Warm Fuzzy Feeling....

Hebrews 6

Since my husband and I now have no living parents as of the end of last month, I often find myself thinking about them and the legacy they have left us with.  It always amazes me how people continue on with life after the funeral.  How is it possible that one so loved can leave and the rest of us can pick up and do life again without them and not completely fall apart?!  

Yes, we have family, friends, acquaintances and all the memories and photographs to comfort and console us especially initially. After some time we begin to take comfort in, and notice more than ever the similarities of character, personallity and physical resemblances in family that we may not have noticed so much before the loss.  This is what really intrigues me these days.  Every November my thoughts are full of memories of my mother since this is the month in which she died.  Within the past week as both my daughters baked cinnamon rolls and a niece let me know she was making "Grandma Eva's Stew" for supper I found myself thankful all over again for my Mom's love of the kitchen and passing that love on to her family. As my mother baked and cooked there would be music playing on the stereo or radio while she hummed softly and sometimes she would make her own music.  Often she would take coffee breaks without the coffee as she sat down with her accordian or a guitar and later the piano.  Our family eats well and loves music and it is because of her influence. 

By now you have read the words in the picture I posted.  I read this chapter in Hebrews this morning and as I read the last two verses I could hear my Father's amazing bass voice singing an old hymn 

"We Have An Anchor" based on this Scripture.  I wondered if I could still remember the words so I started singing... 

"Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, when the clouds unfold their wings of strife

...when the strong tides lift and the cables strain...will your anchor drift or firm remain?" 

and then on to the chorus 

"We have an Anchor that keeps the soul stedfast and sure while the billows roll

 Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Saviour's love."  

I can't tell you how many years it has been since I heard or sang that song...it could be as many as forty-five years or more.  My Father's biggest desire in life was that he would introduce his family to God and he did everything he could to have us all come to the place in our lives where we would willingly allow God to have His rightful place in us.  (Ultimately it is each individual's choice to do this and every time one of us made that decision he couldn't wipe the smile off his face and the reaction was the same when grandchildren began making this decision.)  There was Scripture reading with explanations of it in our home as we sat together in the living room in the evening, and there was music.  I remember many gatherings with family and with friends that culminated in a sing song time.  The words of much of the Scripture read and these old hymns we sang at home and in church seem to be forever etched in my memory and I believe they go even deeper than that.   And when I think of my parents, I think about God.  They did their best to live their lives so that their faith would be demonstrated in every area and I think they did it well.  

This little post could be taken in many directions but my thoughts today are that if you are reading this and you are raising a family, consider what kind of legacy you will leave them with one day.  I hope you have this Anchor both our parents have passed on to their family.   The Anchor that encompasses your entire life so that a reading,  song, and a memory will all point to that One True Anchor that will give them the firm, sure hope of being united once again as family to spend all eternity together.   

...the last verse of the song...

"When our eyes behold through the gathering night

the city of gold, our harbor bright

We shall anchor fast by the heavenly shore

with the storms all past forevermore!"