Three Anchors to Cling To
May 15, 2026 — Laura House
The Lord brings people into our lives who make a profound impact on our journeys. Early in our grief, there were several remarkable people — some in person, others we’ve never met. Don and Patsy led the GriefShare that we attended only a few months after Nathan’s homegoing. All three of their precious boys are in Heaven. God used them to befriend, mentor, and love on us. When we were desperate to find someone to help us bring Nathan’s earthly body back home from overseas, the Lord provided missionaries we’d never met, who flew to where he was and coordinated our efforts. Many family, friends, and complete strangers showed us compassion, helping to shape us and influencing our grief journey. I’d need an entire post to share all of the kindnesses the Lord showed us as we mourned.
Steven Curtis Chapman wrote two albums after the loss of his daughter, and the Lord used those to minister to my soul. Jerry Sittser’s book,A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Lossand C.S. Lewis’ writing, A Grief Observed, comforted and challenged me. And so many, many, more.
Still today, the Lord brings people across my path who leave their mark on me. Fellow bereaved parents at OHAH are among those whom He uses to continue to mold and shape me, and I’m grateful.
Last week, another person’s gift of sharing impacted me deeply, and I am hoping you’ll take the time to listen and be challenged and encouraged as I have been. You might’ve heard of Vaneetha Risner, from her many books and podcasts, or you might just be getting ready to meet her through this talk. But either way, I believe you will be changed from what you hear.
As Vaneetha shares her life’s story, she does so with honesty and transparency that address the questions we all ask through times of deep suffering and pain. As she shares about the loss of her son, Paul, those of us who have a child in Heaven can relate to the agonizing journey.
But the most impactful part of Vaneetha’s message for me is the final section, where she shares three anchors that she clings to “when life falls apart,” and her discussion of the results of suffering. Although her points are among those that I’ve shared many times with others, she has a special gift of clearly defining each truth and communicating them beautifully. I found myself listening several times, writing down the phrases that I wanted to be able to pass along to others.
If you have time to actually sit down and watch, I believe you’ll thoroughly enjoy getting to know her, but I’ve discovered that sometimes it’s easier to accomplish listening while driving, walking, cleaning the kitchen, or completing some other daily task. Regardless, I hope you’ll take time to view or listen. And I hope the Lord uses it, as He has for me, to leave a notch on your grief journey — one that reminds you of how loved you are by your Creator.
