Have you ever heard of the word “anchor”? When you first think of it you may think that I mean like the anchor of a ship. Similar in meaning but when I say anchor, I mean having an anchor in life. An anchor is something that helps you in the midst of chaos.

An anchor is something that helps you when it seems like everything that was supposed to go right is going wrong.

We all have different anchors? Something that calls to our heart when we are in the depths of despair?

For me, my anchor is my bible. Such a simple object, yet to me, it's my anchor and it brings me comfort. It keeps me calm, focused and full of hope. As a child, I grew up in a Christian household. I grew up reading scriptures from my Bible and going to church every Sunday. As a child you have blind faith, is easier to believe in things unceasingly. As you get older it may not the same.

For me, it was harder as I grew for me to hold on to my faith. Keep my connection to God. But there was always one thing that I always came back to. My bible.

There were especially hard times in my life that I look back on that if I didn't have my faith, my scriptures, my bible. I don't know what I would have done.

I was 15 and I remember just like it was yesterday when my mom told me that she had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. My heart broke and my tears were endless. I ran through an array of emotions over the following months. I went from hopeful to hopeless. Jovial to depressed.

And although I hid it well. I was angry. Extremely angry. I didn't understand how God could do this, why He would do this. While I watched my mom take her cancer treatments, I continued to pray. But at this same time, I had this inner turmoil that was altering my mind with doubt. I didn't really talk to anyone (not my mom or dad Definitely my mom – I didn't want to be a burden) about how I was feeling. I just kept on living or rather breathing. so I just kept it bottled up.

Until it just was too much and I went back to the one thing that grounded me. My anchor. My Bible. I was still angry but I able to hold onto that little bit of faith. The faith that helped me to continue trusting in the Lord.

One day I was reading a book that had referenced a scripture that I had came across when I was a child and hadn't given a second thought. It's Jeremiah 29:11 " For I know that plans I have for you declared the Lord, plans to prosper you never to harm you, but to give you hope and a future."(NIV) I don't what it was but for some reason reading, it instilled this peace in me.

As a child, I had read these scriptures but never really fully understood what I was reading, going only by blind faith. But now I do understand and I keep this scripture highlighted in my Bible. And highlighted in my heart. I recite throughout out the day, I recite while I pray and I recited when my mom was declared cancer-free.

What I'm mainly trying to draw focus to is that we all have anchors whether you believe in God or maybe you don't. Having an anchor has nothing to do with religion. For me, it's my Bible. For you, it may be something else. It could be that favorite song that lifts your mood. Or that sport that you hold dear to your heart.

That movie you know will always make you laugh. That favorite hobby that calms you down in the midst of chaos. An anchor is something that can ground you when it seems like nothing else is going right, it helps you regain your focus. Reminds you that even though it may be tough somehow...somehow it'll work out.

So yes, my Bible is my anchor. To me, it represents not only my physical connection but my spiritual connection to God and is a reminder of how it can't be broken.

I want to leave you all with this quote that I think captures the essence of what I'm saying:

"All you need is one safe anchor to keep you grounded when the rest of your life spins out of control.”
― Katie Kacvinsky, author of Awaken