Where To Drop Your Anchor

Life is chock-full of unanswered questions. Will the influx of people relocating to Portland fit our cramped space? Where can we house all the homeless? Why is Donald Trump running for President? How can we focus in the moment when our minds are racing to find answers to our most pressing questions, our needs and problems?

And oh those questions that pop from the mouths of babes, all innocent they are, meditations void of dark ominous clouds hovering over their inquisitive brains. He said they fly in fast jets, speeding their way to heaven, way up high in the sky. That's where his Opa is now he conjectured, his affirmative tone punctuating the air inside the car. My heart skipped a few beats. This blond-haired grandson peered out of the car window, he brandished his thoughts like a sure-fire contestant on Jeopardy! Kids Week. Brown-haired boy, he traced this thought pattern, "Where did Frazier go? Is he all alone?" Stopping for a red light, I inhaled way deep, looked into the rear view mirror, glanced at both boys in the back seat and adopted my wisest grandmotherly voice. "Honey, we don't ride in jets to heaven, but I bet we fly up super fast." Flipping the turn signal I heard brown-haired boy ask, "How did Frazier get to heaven? Was he by himself?" I want you to feel loved, safe, and I need to be present in this moment. Answer carefully but don't wait too long, he will forget and forge on. Speak plain simple language, now hurry! "I don't know if Frazier was by himself but I think he wasn't sick anymore, and I bet he is running and playing happy." A furrowed brow. An unanswered question lingering in the space between us. Thoughts spilling over into the deafening silence. I tried again. "But I do believe when we go to heaven Jesus will help us get there. I think his hand will hold on to us and we won't feel alone at all." Blond-haired boy agreed,"Yes Jesus will be there." And like a helium balloon let loose to roam a cloudless spring sky, our conversation thread ended. "What are we having for dinner?"

After arriving home I thought about our talk in the car. I thought about the deep desire to have all the right answers, to never let an inquisitive mind whither from neglect. To ignite diminutive hearts with hope, faith and love. We ate dinner together and I peppered them with my own questions. Laughter and musing traversed across the table, our voices shooting heavenward I believe. Maybe what matters most is to Just Be. To show up in the driveway and push the key in the ignition, turn it over and listens to how it idles. To be present in the moment anchored by hope, focusing with all our mighty self on the One who knows the answers and loves us right big through each and every precious millisecond of each and every gifted day.