BLANKETS AND ANCHORS

At various points in my life, different people have said that they ‘wished’ they could have faith like I do, as it must be comforting in troubled times.

Troubled times like… having a blocked sink due to a blocked drain that leads to a sewage leak, a hefty insurance claim, a stint at the grubby Premier Inn, and then being told that there’s damp in your walls that will probably take weeks to resolve and *ahem* isn’t covered by your insurance? That’s troubled times. On top of that, or rather, underneath that, there are at least two other huge troubling things that I can’t write about. That kind of troubled time?

To be honest with you, I don’t quite know why people say that. It seems to me like saying to someone, “Hey, I wish I could have a blanket like yours; it must be so cosy in winter…”

To which I say…

“Well it is. But you know you can get blankets online, right? Or in a shop that sells… er… blankets.”

But of course, those people (and apologies to you if you’ve said this to people like me) don’t believe blankets exist. In fact, they’ll argue that nobody’s ever really seen a blanket, and that anyway the whole concept of a blanket is completely made up… probably thousands of years ago by people who were cold and didn’t like it very much. 

You’re entitled to believe that by the way. I’m not saying it’s daft or misguided or foolish or anything as offensive as that. I’m just saying it’s really cosy, and really very warm, under my blanket.

I’ve been leaning into my faith. It’s what we do when trouble comes our way. As Jesus put it, a storm’s there to test your foundations, and whether you crumble or stand is all about how deep you’ve built, and on what. Only a storm can truly tell you that.

And, what’s more, I know people going through far greater storms who’ve had to sink much deeper anchors. Cancer, grief, sickness, financial ruin, broken families, wayward sons, bullying, exam stress - Jesus never promised us a pass on difficulty. Those people inspire me to be better when our house starts falling apart, or it dawns on us that Christmas will probably be kitchenless.

So, which is it? Is faith a blanket some people don’t believe in? Or is it an anchor that holds your ship steady in the storm?

I tell you what. If you’re a person who struggles with the cold, and you don’t much enjoy life’s stormy seasons… it’s absolutely both. You should give it a try.