Lighthouses

I just love lighthouses, don't you? When I was in college I spent one summer working at a camp on Oak Island. I spent every night of that summer in a room in an old building that served as the barracks for Ft. Caswell, a fort dating back to the Civil War. The warm ocean breeze lulled me to sleep every night, as did the constant flashing of the Oak Island Lighthouse. With four flashes followed by six seconds of darkness, its consistency became a rather soothing presence in an otherwise dark room.

Since 1958 this lighthouse has been guiding ships safely through the night off the shores of North Carolina.

Even though I have been vacationing on Oak Island for over 20 years, I had never climbed to the top of the lighthouse until this summer. My lovely daughter, Catie, volunteered as a tour guide while working a summer job as a waitress on the island. This gave me the perfect excuse to visit. (Isn't she one of the prettiest guides you have ever seen?)

The climb to the top was not an easy one. The lighthouse has 131 ship's ladder steps making the trip to the top quite laborious. However, the view at the end of the journey is well worth the labor.

It was a little overcast on the day that I visited, however, Catie said that on a clear day one could see all the way to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.

Although the view of the vast ocean is amazing; I love the view of the intercoastal waterway and the marsh surrounding it.

After my visit to the lighthouse I was thinking about why I am so drawn to this structure. It finally dawned on me that, in a world where nothing ever stays the same, this lighthouse continues to give the same guidance that it has for many years. The same consistent four flashes and six second darkness that eased me to sleep every night over twenty years ago still continues today. Thankfully, I serve a God who is consistent in a world that is continuously changing.


Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8