Do You Have A Lighthouse?

Do You Have A Lighthouse?

12/13/12

For those of us who live in a land locked state or country it is hard to imagine just how important a lighthouse is when the conditions of our world are not favorable.  Even living in these conditions we need to have a lighthouse present in order to make it through our own storm and it is just as important that we look for our lighthouse while we are going through our storm because we cannot make it on our own in good times much less in troubled times.

As most of you know the majority of my past articles have included some type of history or historical setting within their context.  Up until about two decades ago I really could have cared less about history especially maritime history.  I did not realize just how important this type of travel was in human history and as I embraced this portion of history the realization of its unpleasant parts appeared along with its advantages.  There were no airplanes or huge cargo ships to transport the goods necessary for human survival and their luxuries, only a large fleet of feeble ships that made dangerous journeys and at the mercy of the seas on a routine basis.

Given the fact that my country is a little over 300 yrs old it is a relatively new comer to the world stage yet we have become the most powerful nation on earth.  This fact still excites me but it scares me at the same time since the expectations are so high on a continual basis.  Yet, there are many people and nations throughout the world that do not approve of our positions and wish us some type of harm.  This is actually a normal position to be in when someone or in this example a nation is in this place.  Only in governmental controlled states is 100% satisfaction present and we all know what is occurring when this percentage of people are in agreement with the leadership.

There is an old song that some of us are familiar with and it has been sung in churches for decades now.  It was written in a prayer tower overlooking a valley and not the ocean.  The ocean is a few miles away but really cannot be seen from the tower but one has to remember that a lighthouse has a glass top that totally encompasses the lighthouse which allows the light to make a full 360 degree circle when the light, this is because storms do occur over land as well and people still look to the lighthouse for directions while on land.  The song continues and paints a beautiful picture of Jesus being the example of safety during the storm that is raging.  As one forms an image of Jesus in our minds as we sing this song we have to understand that the image that we have will be different than the person standing next to us, and even though the image may be slightly different the nature of Jesus is the same and His guidance and restoration shall never waiver o differ in any form.  There are many trials that our lives may encounter and we must remember that the lighthouse is strategically placed in a spot that will provide navigational support when things are not going as smoothly as possible.  

Yes, lighthouses actually help people that are on land as well.  Light will penetrate through the thickest of fog, driving rain, or any other natural conditions including thick smoke.  People on land need guidance just as much as ones on the water, the dangers are still as great.  So as the lighthouse is for everyone in its area so is Jesus to the entire world.  It is important for us to remember that if we go through storms that other people are going through storms as well and even though we do not know them it is still our duty to point them towards the light to help them along the way.  We may be alongside them in the storm or in their vicinity at the time it is not our responsibility to show them our light but the true light of protection and guidance that comes from the lighthouse.

The other day I was looking around some of my emails and I one of my groups that I am in is all about pictures of places, people, and things all around the world.  The majority of the emails within this group are of land scenes from countries around the world.  I have really enjoyed this group and the pictures that I have looked at over the past few years.  One of the emails jumped out at me as its title was simply lighthouses.  I instantly thought that this was unusual since the group does not post too many sea pictures.  So I clicked on the email and the pictures began to download onto my screen.

Lighthouses have always been a fascinating concept to me.  They are simple buildings that are strategically placed in areas that in time of need will provide a passing ship with the navigational support it needs to safely guide its way around and away from the dangers that are presented.  Lighthouses come in various sizes and shapes and have an array of colors that is spectacular to observe when the weather is good.  But in every case these physical features serve as a life saving beacon that stretches far and wide when the weather conditions are not favorable.  A sea faring person can tell you that it is always comforting to see a lighthouse as their ship approaches the harbor or a land surface, no matter how many times they have travelled that route.  One simple light going in one direction has the power to allow a huge ship with all of its cargo to pass safely without being damaged on the ground or shallow rocks as it approaches land.   And we all know that we cannot trust our compasses in every storm that we are facing, sometimes even they can guide us in the wrong direction, which serves as a perfect example of why a lighthouse is the essential guidance system for all ships that go through storms.

As the first picture opened on my screen I was amazed at the beauty of the lighthouse.  It was a simple structure that was white in color and it was relatively short in stature.  I sat in my chair and stared at the scenery for a few moments.  On top of the lighthouse was a Turkish flag and it was then that one of my so-called “duh” moments hit me.  Then I turned my eyes from the lighthouse itself and began to scan the other portions of the picture which included the surrounding coastal lands and of course a small shot of the water that was close by.  As I panned up into the upper left hand corner of the picture I was I saw the word “Turkey” which I knew that is where the picture was taken because of the flag but it served as some type of confirmation to me that the picture was real.

I continued my search of the pictures and I found out that all of them were pictures of lighthouses from around the world.  The “duh” moment came to me because for some reason I had never realized that lighthouses were present all around the world and have been for a very long time.  Now, one would think that a person seeing a lighthouse would believe that they would be present all over the place, but for some reason my head had isolated these countries from this life saving structure, even though I knew that the world was present and that their main international travel was by ship long before we arrived on the world’s scene.  So in other words my mind was locked into the fact that my setting was one of the few that were actually present in the world, yet my reading told me differently.  How many of us tend to forget this idea?  I know that in many areas of he church world we have done the exact same thing towards people and in showing them the true light that is out there for their protection and guidance for restoration.

I could not believe this oversight that I had of something so simple and basic.  It was shocking to me at the blindness that I had in this area, n short I felt foolish for my lack of realization and it was at this moment that God decided to place a thought into my head.  I continued my scrolling of the pictures and I noticed that all of them had many shapes, sizes and colors.  Not one of them had the same appearance as the previous picture.  None of the pictures were drawing they were all digital pictures that someone or some people had taken at some point in time.  It was this variety of structure shapes that God showed me what He wanted me to share.

Many of us that have been in the western world have at one time seen a picture of a lighthouse and it has been compared to God and that through His Son our lives could be protected in a manner of salvation especially in a huge storm.  At first I kind of told God that I already knew this and so did everyone else that had laid eyes upon one of these pictures.  But it was another detail that He was trying to get me to see and to understand.

We all know that humans come in different shapes, sizes and colors.  These patterns have been a part of us for a very long time and this fact will not change as long as humans walk this earth.  It does not matter what shape or size we are packaged and it is our need to understand that even our names cannot separate us from these physical traits.  God wants you to know that Jesus appears to us in the same manner as these pictures of lighthouses.  To some He might be a short, fat red lighthouse and to others He might appear to b a tall 200 foot white lighthouse.  Each of our storms will be unique to our lives and so must be the lighthouse that is present along the rocks to protect us from crashing up against them.

For a very long time we have placed the concept of a lighthouse as a tall, one shaped and sized structure which everyone should immediately recognize.  This is so not true, each one of us are individuals and we have just as individual recognition points within our lives.  God understands that since we are individuals that we will have different ideas about all things and the way that we approach these things will vary just as much.  Having a true relationship with God is an individual experience and for us to come to this realization we must first realize what sacrifice occurred to allow us to have a personal relationship with our creator once again.  So, why wouldn’t God set His example to us in different shapes, sizes and colors that we can relate with?

When you look back in our lives one can honestly say that while we are going through storms our enemy is not providing us with a security light.  The only thing that he is providing is a storm that is quickly becoming the perfect storm that will surely take us closer to the rocks of destruction if some guidance is not present.  That is why in all of the movies or stories that we have witnessed tell of a person or people on the ship in a storm looking out to see what dangers are present and to see if land is around.  We perform this act within our lives as well during these times.

It must be acknowledged that not everyone will follow the light that is being given for them.  It is a fact that some will ignore the warnings and will travel on their own way.  Each person no matter what the situation is in their lives has the personal choice to look at the light and choose whether or not to heed its instructions of safety.  We cannot force them to see or to follow the light for if we try then we actually become a part of their storm instead of an instrument showing the light that will guide them out of the storm.  As with a physical lighthouse Jesus will never lose His light for the world.  There are backup batteries in a lighthouse that will automatically kick in when the main power source is removed and so is the eternal power source that flows from God through Jesus on a continual basis that shall never be dimmed or shut off, no matter how hard some may try.

For those who have travelled a path many times have said that they look for landmarks that bring back some certain comfort and peace of mind when they are headed towards their destination.  These landmarks can be anything that he mind can process and a lighthouse is a wonderful setting for this type of attraction.  In these familiar paths the lighthouse is an anticipated sight that secures our sense of security and to the person who is on an uncertain path the lighthouse provides a welcomes sight for the weary and unsure mind that someone has been here before them and has provided a monument of guidance.

So for those of us who live close to the ocean and are privy to look at a lighthouse on occasion please do their structures are wonderful to look at and please remember that I am jealous of your setting.  For those of us who do not live close to a lighthouse, I suggest that you go to the internet or to the bookstore and locate some items on lighthouses and place them into your memory as a reminder of their presence in our world.  In whichever category you fall into always remember that there is a place of reference that we can access to remind us that God is in control and that He has provided a guiding light, the one true guiding light, for all mankind to follow.  It is a simple light that is not fancy or elaborate by any means.  It is simply a light that shines bright so that we all have an opportunity to understand the dangers that we are facing whether it be in good living conditions or bad ones, this light shall never fail.

DLB