He Lights the Way

People ask me why I love lighthouses so much.

The reason is simple--

a lighthouse provides safety for ships, which reminds me of Jesus.

He is my safety, my hope, and my guide. He is the light which 

provides safety for me. His Word lights my path, and He gives me hope.

 

Freedom and Hope

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Sixty-five lighthouses dot the coast of Maine. Those historical lights drew Tim and I to visit the beautiful north-eastern state. I've loved lighthouses for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure when I first learned of their existence and purpose, but it seemed I always knew the grand buildings saved lives and provided safety for fishermen and ship's crews. One of the lights we visited, Portland Head Light, is a majestic white structure surrounded by a home and several smaller buildings. As I wandered the property, I rounded the corner of the house and spotted a large stone.  A plaque told me the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, sat and penned his lighthouse poem there.

Steadfast, serene, immovable, the same,
Year after year, through all the silent night
Burns on forevermore that quenchless flame,
Shines on that inextinguishable light!

The poem reminds me of the hope I have in Jesus.

Steadfast—He's always here for me.
Serene—The calm in my storm.
Quenchless flame—His light cannot be put out. 
Inextinguishable light—Always shining, no matter what.

The world is a mess right now. Every day we hear stories of death and destruction. If I'm being honest—and I am, the terror scares me. I think of the world my grandchildren are growing up in and speculate about what it will be. Yes—I've gone down the road of "what if." But before I get too far gone, the Holy Spirit taps me on the shoulder and reminds me of the light. The one light that brings hope. The one that is never extinguished. You see, regardless of all the evil in the world, we have hope. Constant hope in Jesus. He's the one who brings peace and joy, the one who gives freedom from the world. He's the one who hears my prayers. He gives me freedom from fear and worry, because I know he has me in his hands. I pray for this world and the hurting. In my prayers, I ask that everyone will find comfort and peace in Jesus. He is the one who gives true freedom. The one who offers hope.

Beacons of Hope

Last summer, Tim and I climbed Marblehead Lighthouse. We enjoyed the view of Lake Erie and the surrounding area. I imagined what life might have been like for the lightkeeper and family. A soft breeze blew with warm temperatures. A perfect day to be outside. But think about what lightkeepers went through in the winter. Freezing degrees of cold, ice, and snow. They trudged through blizzards, storms, and other inclement weather to bring safety to the boats that traveled nearby. 

I've had a fascination with lighthouses for years. The tall beacons of light remind me of the hope I have in Jesus. The hope that helps me trek through life's circumstances with a sense of peace, joy, and safety. 

On our trip to Maine this summer, Tim and I saw seventeen different beacons of hope. Ten in Maine, on the beautiful Atlantic, and seven in Ohio, on Lake Erie. Hope you enjoy their beauty as much as we have.

Ram Island Ledge Light----------------------------Portland Head Light----------------Portland Breakwater---Maine

Nubble Lighthouse---------------------------------Kittery Lighthouse--------------------------Pemaquid Lighthouse----------Maine

Pond Island, Popham Beach Light----Wood Island, Biddeford----Whaleback Lighthouse---Spring Point Ledge Light---Maine

Fairport Harbor Light------------Vermillion Lighthouse---------Conneaut Breakwater Light----Marblehead------Ohio

Port Clinton Lighthouse--------------------------Lorain Lighthouse----------------Fairport Harbor West Breakwater--------Ohio