The swan is upside down? Ever feel like this?

We have been having a major problem with Canadian geese using our pond and surrounding yard this year. It started out with 2 and they had about 6 babies and then they invited their friends and then there were seriously about 18 of them plus babies! It was like a Canadian goose convention. They are extremely messy animals and we do not want them living by or in the pond.  They can also be mean and hiss at you. My dog used to keep them away when she was younger but now that she is elderly, she can’t chase them away.

I asked my Dad to help me find a solution. He told me about swan decoys. Geese are afraid of swans and 2 swans are more effective than one. So I went on Amazon and ordered 2 large swan decoys. They are very realistic. There was a problem though. It has been a dry summer without much rain. The water level is down on the pond and the swan would get stuck along the edge. A swan that is not moving for weeks at a time is not very scary to a goose! So once again I called my Dad for advice. He told me to tether it to an anchor. Then it could “swim” when a breeze would come and be more effective. Well I didn’t have an anchor so the one swan is temporarily  tied to the dock. The other swan is currently stuck in the weeds. I have asked a friend to make me some anchors and help me tether these swans! A strong gust of wind toppled the tied up swan yesterday so it is now floating upside down! I’m pretty sure the geese are unimpressed with my swan tethering  skills, but they are staying away!

It seems like this summer has been just filled with trials. As I contemplated tethering those swans to an anchor I thought about my own anchor. That faith that anchors my decisions,  keeps me centered and focused despite all the chaos around me. Sometimes I feel just like that swan that’s floating upside down, but it’s still anchored! The devil can try and toss us around and create such chaos and despair but that anchor holds you. The Lord holds us in the palm of His hand and knows exactly how much we can take. That anchor holds steady through the roughest storms. My faith in a God who cannot fail gives me stability when my own frailty fails me time after time.

I’m anchored to the source of everything I need. He provides a way through the darkest trial, He gives blessings beyond measure. I can’t even imagine how I could live without having anchored my soul, my life to a living God. We can’t do this on our own and the wonderful thing is He hasn’t asked us to. Instead, He has given us His promised Word. We just have to anchor our faith to that Word and live our lives confessing those precious promises. We might appear to be as that upside down swan to the world, but we are still anchored, protected and secure.