I was reading about lighthouses today and I found some rather interesting information (at least it was to me)! As I was reading I found out that there are about 680 lighthouses remaining in the U.S. I also found out that the lighthouses are painted differently. So why are lighthouses painted differently and, do these designs represent something? Lighthouses are painted different colors and designs to make them daymarks. So if you saw black and white swirling stripes down the lighthouse you would know you were by Cape Hatteras. Or say you saw a lighthouse that had black and white diamond shapes on it…you would know that you were farther south by Cape Lookout.
OK, so how can you tell where you are if it is dark. Well, each lighthouse flashes a different sequence of light for the exact same reason.
Another tid bit of information is, which lighthouse is the brightest in the United States? Oak Island lighthouse in North Carolina (pictured above). When all lights are lit it produces an astonishing 14 million candlepower and can be spotted at about 24 miles out to sea.
After I was finished reading about lighthouses I started thinking about me as a Christ Follower, being a lighthouse for the world to see. I asked the same questions, how do people recognize me as a Christ Follower during the day and night? By the clothes I wear, the things I do or say? Is there a glow that is shining around me so others can see Jesus during the night? I know there is, but how bright is my light shining? Can others see me from a distance and tell I am a Christ Follower?
We need to be a lighthouse for the lost. The light coming from the lighthouse by the sea is sometimes blocked by fog and rain, but the closer the ship gets to shore the light begins to get brighter. Just like our light, it can be blocked by fog or rain (sin), but as we get closer to God the brighter our light will shine.
We need to make sure our lenses on our lighthouse are cleaned, so our light will shine bright when others are looking.
