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Roland Morales: Have you ever stopped and looked up and then wondered how in the world did I get here? That happens with life sometimes, doesn't it? Sometimes we find ourselves in places we never expected to be, most definitely never wanted to be. At times our own decisions can land us there. Other times, circumstances beyond our control can change everything. And sometimes we just simply drift without even realizing it. But this isn't about assigning blame. Everybody's journey is different. But what if I told you that no matter how we got here, we can still turn toward the one who has never moved? That's what I want to talk about today. Returning to your fixed point. You see, drifting isn't always something we immediately recognize. Sometimes small decisions can gradually lead us away from where we ever thought we would be. At times unexpected loss, disappointment or difficult circumstances can leave us feeling like we're ungrounded. Other times we're just exhausted in trying to get through life. Feeling ungrounded doesn't necessarily mean we stop believing. See, this is not because you stop caring or not because we stopped believing. Sometimes it's just because we're just tired and we can't silence all the noise that's going on around us. Remember our anchor illustration? Our fisherman Elias? He set his anchor in the cove, the storm came. And he still drifted outside of the cove and almost wrecked his boat on the rocks, his very livelihood. And he realized it wasn't the anchor that failed. It was the line. It was his connection to his anchor. But a boat doesn't always need a terrible storm to drift. Sometimes a gentle current is enough. And that's what happens with life. Life can carry us away from where we started without us ever realizing it. And here's the here's the trap. Sometimes the hardest thing isn't realizing that we drifted. It's believing the lie that we've gone too far to ever come back. Oftentimes regret can make us feel trapped by the past, or shame can convince us that we're no longer worthy of forgiveness or deserve forgiveness or grace. Sometimes we believe too much time has passed to change everything. But having questions about God in our past doesn't mean we've failed. Understand drifting does not mean failure. And it's not that we don't want to return. It's just that we don't believe we can. And there's another lie. But returning to your fixed point doesn't mean you have to retake trace every step you've ever taken. Sometimes all you have to do is turn around. Just change the direction that you're facing right now. You see, we can't always change yesterday, and I I read something on Facebook recently that said no amount of regret can change the past and no amount of worry can influence the future. But we don't have to figure that all out before we turn to God. A quiet prayer may be the first step. It doesn't have to be eloquent. It doesn't have to be a lot of words. Sometimes it's just help, and that's enough. See, there's
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a story that Jesus told it reminds me of this idea of returning. In Luke chapter fifteen, we learn about a younger son who demanded his inheritance from his father. His father gives it to him. The son leaves home and he spends everything. Eventually he finds himself desperate and hungry, in fact living with the pigs, and he remembers his father's home. and in that moment he decides to return, hoping that he can at least be accepted as a hired worker. The important thing to remember and understand here is before anything changed around him, the son, something changed inside him. He made a decision. He was returning home. And the father's response? As soon as he saw him while his son was still far away, he ran and greeted him with open arms. The son hadn't fixed his past and But the father still received him with compassion. And understand that he hadn't even made his way all the way home before his father came running to him. Remember when we said that your worth and your dignity isn't something that you can earn and it's not something that somebody can take away? Why? Because God put that inside you when He created you in His own image. It's the same with grace. Grace isn't something we can earn by first getting everything right. It's not how that works. We don't have to become perfect and Before we turn toward God. This story about the prodigal son involves the son's own choices, but not every difficult situation in life comes from a mistake. Sometimes, in fact, returning to our fixed point doesn't mean going back to the life we had before. Returning doesn't mean going backward. We sometimes want to imagine that we can we can return and and get our old life back, but some experiences change life permanently. It could be loss or any other unexpected circumstances that leave us in a place we never imagined. And sometimes, most oftentimes, in fact, we can't always restore things to the way they were. But returning to God doesn't erase pain or answer every question. We can seek God in the life we're living right now. And that's done by small steps a quiet prayer or a moment of silence, simply opening your Bible, or saying, God, I don't know what to do from here, but I need you. Back to the anchor. An anchor doesn't take a back boat I'm sorry, an anchor t doesn't take the boat back to the harbor, but it holds it steady right where it is. And sometimes what we need most isn't a way to go backwards. It's something we can hold on to. That's what we need. Something we can hold on to right where we are. I think about Hebrews when I think about our fixed point that anchor that Elias dropped in the cove. In Hebrews chapter six we learn We have this hope as an anchor for the soul for firm and secure. Wanna thank you for spending this time with us. And remember last time we talked about a few tools, a few practical tools that you could use in protecting your fixed point. I'll cover those two tools again real quick. In protecting your fixed point, two tools. One, the decision filter. Asking yourself, does this move me closer to my fixed point or farther away from it? And the second one, this is the one I like the most, is a sacred no, one sacred no. Pick one thing that you regularly say yes to that your fixed point would say no to just one. Not five, not ten, just one. And here are a couple of tools that you can use in returning to your fixed point. Tool number one, the anchor check. Ask yourself Where am I? And what has been pulling me away from my fixed point? Before you can return, you have to take a quiet moment and recognize where you are. This is an exercise in awareness. Please understand that, not guilt or shame. So asking yourself what has been occupying most of my heart and mind lately? Or what have I been neglecting that once kept me grounded? Or when did I last feel connected to my fixed point? And what's different now? See, an anchor check isn't about measuring how far you've drifted so you can feel bad about it. It's about recognizing where you are so you can begin finding your way back. Tool number two, the one-degree turn. Ask what is one small thing I can do today to turn toward my fixed point? All you have to do is choose one realistic action you can take in the next twenty four hours. Returning doesn't always require a dramatic change. Here's some things I want you to think about. Your faith. Spend a couple of honest minutes talking to God. Even if all you say is Lord, I'm here, help me. Your relationships. Give someone you love fifteen uninterrupted minutes, and hopefully you can find where you drifted and begin finding your way back to a solid fixed point. Analyze your priorities. Pause and ask whether what you're pursuing still reflects what matters most to you. I encourage you read at least one scripture or passage of scripture with an open mind. In putting these tools together. The anchor check, recognize where you are, the one degree turn, take one step towards what matters. Again, thank you for spending this little time with me today. I hope something in our conversation has encouraged you and reminded you that no matter where life has taken you, hope is still there. Until next time, God bless. And remember, your story's still being written. Keep turning the page. and before we go, I'd like to invite you to visit my Facebook page anchor point hope. Anchor point one word and hope. There you'll find more daily encouragement until we can talk again. Until next time again, God bless.