Reverend Raymond Osborne, Pastor

Please Note That Most Messages Follow
The Revised Common Lectionary

“The Anchor Holds”
Psalm 84

I read a story the other day about a billionaire who pledged the hand of his Miss-America daughter and a royal dowry to that man who could survive a life-threatening ordeal.

On the appointed day, all the suitors lined up on one edge of a swimming pool. In the pool swam dozens of man-eating sharks.

"The first man who swims to the other side of the pool," the billionaire bull-horned, "shall have my daughter and my treasure."

Immediately there was a splash from one end of the pool, and a lone swimmer desperately churned through the water scarce inches ahead of thrashing sharks. The swimmer reached the other side and scurried out of the water.

"You alone," the father announced, "have proven yourself to be the man worthy of the prize."

But the swimmer shook himself off and said, "Never mind that. Just let me get my hands on that sun-of-a-gun who pushed me!"

You would most likely agree with me that to willingly throw oneself into harm’s way is not a very wise thing to do. In fact, most people I know try whatever means is necessary to avoid harm. Yet no matter how hard we try to avoid the storms of life they are always there.

There are many times that for no apparent reason my children come running through the house with their arms wide open saying, “Daddy I love you!” I love those hugs! I cherish those hugs. Heck, I just love hugs period! Last Sunday as I stood back in the narthex of the church Owen came and hugged me! I appreciate Owen’s hugs and I have told him so.

Sometimes my children are awakened by a bad dream in the middle of the night and what it usually takes is a warm, assuring hug, and an I love you from Mom or Dad and they calm down as if that hug made everything alright.

My Father died when Seth was a month old and I miss him. There are times when I have found myself looking up to Heaven and saying, “Dad I sure wish you were here right now so we could talk and you could tell me what to do!” If the truth be known I’d give anything to get a hug right now from my Dad.

I don’t know about you, I only know about me, but sometimes I wonder if God doesn’t have my plate mixed up with someone else’s. Don’t you? There seems to be times when all the walls are caving in! There are times when I don’t know how much more I can handle.

It’s during times like these that I need a gentle reminder, a hug from God that brings assurance to my life that everything is going to be alright.

The reading of Psalm 84 does that for me. It gently envelops me in the arms of God, and reminds me that I’m not alone in this journey and that for the child of God everything ultimately IS going to be alright. Notice that word “ultimately.” God has never promised that our lives would be simplistic and trouble free. That’s where we get off track. Somehow and somewhere we have been fed a bad theology. Somewhere we were told that if we commit ourselves to God we ought never have to suffer. Like the guy at the swimming pool I’d sure like to get my hands on the preacher who started us believing that nonsense!

If I were a betting man I would be willing to stake a pretty high wager that every single person in this place at one time or another has experienced fear of the unknown. Sometimes I will be walking through a mall or store with my children and either Seth or Paige will reach over and take my hand because of something or someone they have seen that caused fear in their hearts.

There have been times in all of our lives that we would have given anything to have heard someone say, “Don’t worry. I’m right here to hold your hand.” Listen to me as I read you the Words of God from Isaiah, remember this is God speaking to you and I:

I will never forget his words that day, “Ray your cancer is very aggressive. It has not responded to anything that we have done. It is in fact spreading very rapidly and I know of nothing else to do but send you for a Bone Marrow Transplant.”

He made the appointment and Stephanie and I went to Baptist Hospital to meet with the doctor. He was a very pleasant man and very direct. I walked in and said, “I’m going to beat this thing right?” To which he replied, “Mr. Osborne with someone who is experiencing what you are I give no promises nor will I instill any false hope. Your cancer is non-responsive which means you are not eligible for a Bone Marrow Transplant. I’m sorry but there is nothing we can do at this point.” Then he got up and left for a few minutes.

I had taken two objects with me that day, Paige’s passy and a pair of Seth’s socks. I just wanted to feel the presence of my children. Stephanie began to cry. I was so scared! I did my best to reassure Stephanie but the whole time we both knew the doctor had just given me a death sentence.

In a few minutes the doctor returned, sat down at his gray desk and said, “I’ve been on the phone with your previous doctor and we were discussing the possibility that you had originally been misdiagnosed. I want to do another biopsy if you agree?”

I agreed and the phone rang while I was sitting in my bed at home. The results were that I was in fact misdiagnosed at first. So I had been taking the wrong kind of chemo for the wrong kind of cancer. The cancer had spread throughout my entire body. This time they were going to give me the right kind of chemo and if the cancer responded they would do the transplant. It responded and I had the transplant.

I remember the radiation treatments. Eighteen minutes on each side of my body. I’d have to sit on a table in a fetal position while they would secure a leather strap around my body so I wouldn’t move during the treatment. They put some sort of a bag over my head so my eyes would be protected. They then would raise the table about 8 feet into the air between to walls which held speakers playing elevator music. They would walk out and then I’d hear hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm for eighteen minutes. It would stop, they would come out and without telling me turn the table which always made me feel like I was going to fall! They would leave and then I’d hear hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm for another eighteen minutes. I would sit on that table most of the time being very human. I’d cry and pray the whole time. “God let me live. Please let me live!” I was no different from anyone else. I wanted to see my daughter grow up to go to the prom and I wanted to see my son grow up to play ball. I wanted to spend a long life enjoying the companionship of Stephanie. I don’t know why, but He choose to answer my prayers.

For five years now I have been 100% cancer free. I am walking living proof that life isn’t always a walk through the park. I am proof that even Christians must suffer in this life. But far more than any other thing I am proof that our God can help us through even the toughest times of life if we turn to Him and let Him.

Some have asked, “Weren’t you mad at God for giving you cancer?” My reply is this. At first I was. But before it was over I realized that God didn’t give me that cancer, but God helped me through it.

There is another verse in Isaiah that says, “He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.”

Can you picture that? A Hug from God! Wow!

As you know Stephanie and I sing a lot. I had searched all over for a song that spoke about my life. I found it one day and I’ve been singing it ever since. It’s by Ray Boltz and it’s called “The Anchor Holds.” Listen as I sing.

(The Song)

Let us pray: Lord we thank you that while our live become battered in the sea of life we can come to you and find calmness for the storm. We realize that your eyes are always upon us because you love us. Thank you that when we are afraid, we can come to you. In Jesus name I pray. . .Amen.

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