Home » Blog » Inspiring Stories » Everyday Blessings: Anchor of Faith

Author

Tags

Share this story

Everyday Blessings: Anchor of Faith

After receiving unsettling news, she paused to experience the quiet beauty of a fall day and reconnect with her faith.

Anchor of Faith writer, Sabra Ciancanelli; photo courtesy Sabra Ciancanelli
Unlock a world of inspiration right in your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters today and get uplifting insights, powerful stories of faith and more delivered directly to your email.

I was unpacking groceries that fall day when my husband, Tony, told me the devastating news: His sister, who hadn’t been well, was in intensive care. As I tried to make sense of the situation, I mechanically put away the things I’d bought—the milk in the fridge, the chips in the top cabinet. Tony said he needed a long walk and headed out. I kept right on organizing and cleaning. The kitchen might have been spotless, but I was a mess of confusion and despair.

I took a deep breath and went to the dining room, where I dusted the framed photos of my grandparents and their parents and my husband’s parents. I picked up each portrait, studying our family’s faces.

In 1911, my great-grandmother came to America by herself from Hungary. She was only 14. For a long time, I thought this story was embellished family lore. Then I did some research and found the ship’s manifest. It confirmed that my great-grandmother truly had traveled alone, a four-foot-ten-inch girl with exactly nine dollars in her pocket and a scrap of paper that had the name and address of a distant relative who would house her. I tried to imagine what that voyage must have been like: Faith was the only companion to guide my great-grandmother toward an uncertain horizon.

So often I forget how strong we are. The incredible hardships and courageous journeys we all have in our histories, like sailing across a sea of unknowns or coping with the anguish of a loved one’s failing health.

I went outside and sat on the porch steps in the sun. I took in the striking hues of fall—the beauty of our autumn blaze maple in all its glory, the trill of a sparrow’s song in the distance—and I felt better. No matter the outcome, we would find our way through this rough time. Organizing the house couldn’t cure the restless worry in my spirit. Only the blessing of a beautiful day and the anchor of my faith could do that.

Excerpted from Guideposts magazine.

Share this story

WWJ Devotionals Autumn Thanksgiving 2024 Right Rail Ad

Community Newsletter

Get More Inspiration Delivered to Your Inbox

Donate to change a life together

Scroll to Top