The girl and the anchor

A girl was seen walking along the shore. Behind her she dragged an anchor. She was making her way toward the lighthouse in the distance. The anchor was heavy and made walking difficult, but she trudged through. She wanted to get to the lighthouse, but each step was a struggle. In the sand, you could see the trail left by the weight of her anchor.

The purpose of an anchor is to keep us stationary and in place. It’s difficult to travel when attached to an anchor. It sounds rather futile to be attached to one if our desire is to move.

The girl continues to trudge through the sand. Eventually she reaches the lighthouse. It is bright and can be seen for miles. There she meets Jesus. She is relieved and yet tired and weary from the weight she has carried. They sit down together.

The lighthouse is a place of refuge, a place of safety, and points to a harbor for rest. Lighthouses have always been places of retreat and havens from the vastness and unpredictability of the seas. Spotting a lighthouse while at sea was always cause for relief and even joy.

Life is like the sea, really, vast and unpredictable. At times we are surrounded by calm and serene circumstances, and without warning, it turns chaotic and tumultuous. The beauty of the lighthouse is that it stands visible, a reminder that a place of safety and refuge awaits.

The girls asks Jesus, why she is dragging an anchor, what does this represent. He replies, “it is your cares and worries.” The girl sighs. She realizes the weight she has accumulated. It has been hard to travel, she says. Jesus responds, “you will have to stop dragging it.” The girl asks Jesus how she can be rid of this anchor which is shackled to her. He gently tells her, “you must decide to step out of the shackle. I do not give you cares and worries. This anchor, you assumed on your own.”

She gives the cares and worries over to Jesus. The girl easily slips her ankle out of the shackle and gives the anchor to Jesus. He tosses it into the water. The weight of the cares and worries are instantly gone. She feels light and free, agile and lithe. Jesus reminds the girl to be aware that anchors can be easily picked up and can become so heavy they limit our ability to move.

Jesus tells the girl that he needs her free from worry and care so she is unrestrained and able to move as He calls. The girl prays for the grace to avoid the pattern of picking up the anchor of worry.

Jesus and the girl walk from the lighthouse out onto the jetty. They sit and she abides.