Recently I ran a songs for a worship program at church, for which a certain song was requested - "My Lighthouse" by Rend Collective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSn9HW5P-sA While I was thinking about what train of thought to follow for my worship snippets, I started looking at photos of lighthouses. Like many people, I've always had a loving respect for their stateliness and purpose - but those lighthouses that stand against the onslaught of ocean waves hold a greater sense of awe for me.
One particular lighthouse stood out, made famous by a sequence of photographs shot by Jean Guichard, whilst huge waves of 20 to 30 metres crashed against its walls. La Jument Lighthouse off the shores of France. Such awe-inspiring photos! How did it stand against such incredible power? It was bonded strongly to the rock beneath it; and when, over the years, a crack became evident in that crucial foundation, more concrete was poured to reinforce its grip.
Another lighthouse, built before the time of concrete, stands as the oldest wave-washed lighthouse today. Bell's Rock Lighthouse was built between 1807 and 1810 off the coast of Scotland by John Rennie and Robert Stevenson, and is perhaps even more of an engineering marvel. Like all of these lighthouses, its construction took years as it could only be built during the calm ocean months. Its solid foundational layers were embed into the base rock - huge granite stones, dove-tailed in a kind of 3 dimensional jigsaw puzzle, designed to withstand massive forces in any direction. And still it stands.
Engineering marvels defying incredible stress! Built to survive - by effectively becoming a part of the rock.
Life is not always stressful for us. Some seasons are smooth - like the balmy seas on a lazy summer's day. But there are times when we will face the most horrendous storms on our existence. Those are the times when we need to cling to the Rock - the one unchanging constant in our lives, so we can ride out the storm and survive. Build your life on the Rock while the season is calm. Bury yourself deep into His strength. Learn how much you can trust Him - so you can stand solid when life tries to smash you down.
