Most of us don’t deal well with uncertainty. I know I don’t! But that is the place we all find ourselves right now. No one knows how this global crisis is going to play out and none of us know what life will look like when we get past it. We have questions about our lives and loved ones. How will we pay the bills? Will everyone stay safe? What will I do with my time while I am involuntarily isolated? How long is this going to last?

In these times of uncertainty, when we feel like a small ship tossed about by the wind and waves of a perfect storm, it is so important to make sure that our anchor is secure. It’s that mooring that helps us to keep from drifting and drowning in the sea of questions. Are you anchored? 

Some ships have more than one anchor. Can you define what your anchors are? We need as many as we can get right now! It's time to examine your anchors.

You have an important role to play in this time of extreme global stress. Staying anchored can bring security and stability to those around you. So, let’s look at a few practical anchors for this time of uncertainty. 

Your regular routines. For most of us our routines are out the window. You may not have realized just how much security came into your life because of the repeated tasks imposed on you by the need to go to work or get the kids to school. Now with everyone home, the imposed rituals don’t exist. It’s up to you to keep as regular a routine as possible. When so much is out of our control, it can help to take control of what we can. Keeping a regular routine is something you can control that will help you and your family. What does that mean? 

• Get up and go to bed in a regular rhythm and help the rest of your family to do the same.

• Have the kids do schoolwork at the same time every day.

• Set a schedule for meals, laundry, grocery shopping, etc.

You may surprised at how much calm an ordered schedule can bring to you and the people around you while the world is so far from calm. 

Since my husband and I are pastors working from home, one of our biggest challenges has been setting an end to our work day. We have maintained our morning routines and have started work at our normal time, but since we don’t have appointments that take us “out of the office” and we are launching new ways to do our job of caring for people, we have neglected to take breaks or to determine that “it’s time to go home and leave that for tomorrow.” If you are working from home, you may have similar challenges. We are working on setting appropriate boundaries for our work. It will help you to consider those as well.

When I was a stay-at-home mom, I determined that I would stop working after the dinner dishes were done so that I could spend that time with my kids and my husband. Let's be honest, work is never done, no matter what your work is! 

• Now, since we are home, it is totally up to you and to me to decide when to stop working.

• And by the way, if you are working from home, take your normal days off! You need them now more than ever. 

Maybe you are no longer working and are completely unsure of how to spend your days. It can help you to think of your day in the same time blocks as when you were working. 

• Fill your "work" time with tasks that you have wanted to get finished around the house or preparing for when you do go back to work.

• But end that time when you would have left work and move to what you would have done when you came home. 

Before all of this, you had a regular rhythm to your life, whether you realized it or not. When you do your best to maintain that rhythm now you will find an anchor that helps you and those you live with.  

Your relationships. We have been telling our congregation that social distancing doesn’t have to mean social disconnection. We are leveraging the systems we already had in place to make connections with our people as a group and as individuals. Since our people are geographically spread out, we had already been experimenting with Zoom as a way to have virtual small groups. That experiment has now become one of the best ways for us to maintain those connections, along with phone calls, emails and social media.

Who are the important people in your life? We have tools that previous generations did not have to allow us to see and hear each other and stay in touch. 

• Set digital dates with friends the way you may have set coffee dates.

• Text and call friends and family regularly.

Now is the time to be intentional. We are calling and texting family members more often. I don't want to reach the end of this crisis with any regrets about the people I didn't stay in contact with. 

If you are at home with your family, don’t just exist in the same house. 

• Be intentional about spending time with them.

• Find things to do together.

• This is an opportunity to build bonds and repair breaches. Your family can become an anchor, even if wasn’t before. 

Isolation can often lead to depression. Staying connected keeps you encouraged and then you encourage those you can still be in contact with, like the coworkers in your virtual meetings or the grocery store clerks. When you anchor your relationships you bring a positive influence, even in this time of isolation. 

Your relationship with God. This is the most important anchor! If you had not developed a regular devotional time before this crisis, now is the time to begin. In a world that is uncertain and insecure, we need an anchor for our souls. A regular time in the Word and in worship will anchor you like nothing else. 

I realized the importance of my time with God while my kids were in school. I had developed a regular routine for devotions that fit into their school schedule. But when they were on school vacations I didn’t maintain my routine, I found myself irritable and impatient. It took a while, but when I realized that my lack of peace was directly related to my missed appointments with God, I determined to keep that same schedule no matter what. Time with God became the first thing I did when I got up no matter what else was happening, and it still is.

Those appointments make a difference in all my days. I liken this anchor to regular meals. I may not always taste or fully enjoy the food that I eat, but it still nourishes my body. My time with God nourishes and strengthens me, even if I don't notice it. I won’t miss it anymore because I know it makes a difference in my life. Now is the time, my friend. You need this more than ever. 

If you have already signed up to receive my blog by email then you received a printable download: 5 Ways to Jumpstart Your Daily Devotions. If not, click here to sign up and I would love to send it to you and to be able to encourage you by email every week. 

Dear Friends, we need each other now. We need to stay anchored so that we can bring stability to our own lives and to the people we love. Maintain as normal a routine as possible. Keep your important relationships connected and growing. Develop and deepen your daily connection with God. That connection brings you into His presence where there is more than enough strength to get through anything. You need it and the people in your life need it from you. 

Key thought: Your anchors bring security to those around you. 

A Scripture to consider: “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6:19‬ ‭NLT‬

A YES challenge: Take time to examine your routines, relationships and relationship with God. What practical steps can you take today to make sure that your anchors are secure?

Prayer: God, I realize that I need more than I have right now to get through this. I don’t have it within myself. I need You to get me through it. Help me to take hold of the anchors in my life and use them to bring stability to myself and those I love. Help me to stay connected to others and, most of all, help me to stay connected to You. You are where I will find my greatest strength and hope. Amen.