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A cold winter storm will join us here in the south. Hopefully, each of us has prepared accordingly. As we look to the New Year and New Year resolutions, I offer a repeat message initially written several years ago, with minor changes. I believe it is applicable today.
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The Lighthouse Keeper and the Fishermen
(and New Year’s Resolutions)
We pick up our story at midday, where you and I, dear reader, look out upon the sea from atop a lighthouse. We see the churning ocean’s sea surface and white caps have diminished. The waves we hear and see now lap against the shore. Not as tall as they were earlier.
Though the sea has become a steady murmur of its earlier violence and the wave action has diminished in size and sound, there is a feeling of apprehension along the shoreline. You and I, looking down from the top of the lighthouse, observe the uncertainty reflected in the steps of those walking along the beach who apprehensively glance toward the sea.
The sea, a fickle mistress, provides fishermen and their families with a livelihood. If the sea does not give of its bounty, the village will have less, and families will go without, hence their apprehension.
What would you do when the very source of your livelihood can no longer be trusted to meet your family’s needs? What would you do when the unknown becomes a dark pale upon your heart and mind?
Standing next to us at this high lookout, the Lighthouse Keeper watches everything from the top of his keep, which overlooks the shoreline, sea, and village. Because he has been here for so long, he is aware of the changing seas, shifting winds, and concerns of the fishermen and their families. He also knows the seasons of the sea, just as well as he knows every brick in the lighthouse, which he maintains because he laid every brick by hand. The Lighthouse Keeper senses a new season is approaching. It is felt in the sea air and heard with the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and sand below. He also knows his lighthouse will always stand firm and will never move, regardless of the temperament the sea may reveal. The lighthouse and its Keeper will always be in the same place, with the same mission, performing the same work. That work is to guide those who can see and listen into the refuge of the harbor, away from the dangers of the sea that threaten their safety.
Now, dear reader. Who are the fishermen and families in the village?
The answer. The fishermen/families are you and I, looking to the sea to meet our needs and desires while trying to understand its fickle nature.
While the Lighthouse Keeper’s guidance and experience is better suited to comprehending and negotiating the ‘sea of life’ and meeting the fishermen/familes needs.
The point? The fishermen and their families need to know the Lighthouse Keeper and build a relationship with him. They should trust His guidance and experience more than their limited understanding of this ‘sea of life’ that impacts them daily.
C.S. Lewis writes in his book ‘Mere Christianity’ that, “…intellectual acceptance of some theory about God… and therefore the ‘Care of the Soul’ falls short of what is necessary for the Christian and their faith. The academic approach of knowing ‘about God’ differs from truly ‘knowing God’…”
Indeed, to truly ‘know’ someone, you must have a relationship with them. You may be familiar with your neighbors, but you may not actually ‘know’ them, as you do your family or yourself, because there is no relationship established.
In our story above, God the Father represents the Lighthouse Keeper. To thrive in this ever-changing “sea of life,” we must know the Lighthouse Keeper, who understands it far better than we do.
So, resolve in 2025 to ‘Know your Creator.’ Seek His Word (the Bible) anew. Pursue His presence (through His Son Jesus Christ) more intimately. During 2025, cultivate a deeper awareness and knowledge of God the Father, who longs to protect and provide for you in a fallen and sinful world. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Trust The Lighthouse Keeper.
“…The fear (respect) of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding…”. (Proverbs 9:10, KJV)
“…Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.…”. (Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV)
Respectfully Offered,
Soli Deo Gloria
LEO BT Chaplain B
P.S. There is a winter Flu virus going around. Don’t ask me how I know. So, remember your Vit C and D, clear fluids, Electrolytes, and Herbal Teas.…. Consider this your brief SGM(R) safety briefing for the month (smile). God Bless and stay warm.
