Write Down Your Anchors
I can’t do roller coasters anymore. I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but somewhere in the aging process my ability to handle G-force, high velocity twists, and any kind of upside down mysteriously disappeared.
Occasionally, I ignore this reality. My kids are huge fans of the Guardian of the Galaxy ride at EPCOT. I won’t try to describe it, but it’s basically 4 minutes of throwing up set to 80s music. I know I shouldn’t ride, but the chance of vomiting to Tears for Fears is just too enticing.
To help combat this, I learned a trick called “spotting” from ballet dancers (don’t worry, this is as close to dancing as I get). They pick a spot—a visual anchor—and keep their eyes focused on it for as long as possible as they turn. When their neck can twist no further, they rapidly “whip” their head 360 degrees and immediately refocus on that same spot. Spotting limits the disorienting blur and helps keep the dancer from becoming dizzy and falling over.
What Do You Know?
This same idea works in our spiritual lives as well. Let’s face it, life can become incredibly disorienting at times. Things can begin to “spin” and cause us to lose our equilibrium. And while I love a good 80s mixtape, we won’t find stability from blasting Disco Inferno.
A good friend once told me: “Write down your anchors. Write down what you know. As life begins to spin, what is the constant spot you keep returning to?”
I recently texted this to my kids during a disorienting season. I have found myself repeating a lot over the years, and I thought it might encourage you, too:
Jesus is who he said He is.
The Gospel is true.
People will fail you.
Don’t let #3 shake your belief in #1 and #2.
I want to encourage you today. Maybe you’re going through a layoff or a difficult job change. Maybe there’s an uncomfortable shift happening in your ministry. Maybe that career plan you had all mapped out is falling apart right in front of you. Maybe your family is facing an incredible trial you have no idea how to navigate.
Find your anchor. Find that “spot” you can consistently return to when life feels like it’s spinning out of control. Jesus is who He said He is. The Gospel is true. Fix your gaze firmly on that spot. The world around you may keep spinning, but you don’t have to lose your bearings.
Erik Cooper
Erik began his career in the business world before spending twelve years in full-time ministry, serving on staff at a large suburban church and later as a church planter in downtown Indianapolis. Today, he serves as the President of a family of business-oriented nonprofit organizations that work together to mobilize the marketplace to make Jesus known in the world. He leads The Stone Table, which equips marketplace believers and invests in global mission initiatives, and Community Reinvestment Foundation, a nonprofit real estate company providing high-quality affordable housing in Indiana and directing its profits to missions through The Stone Table.
