This picture hangs in the entryway of my house. It has been a great source of comfort throughout the years.  When I look at the print and the verse below it, it reminds me that God is always with me and that he is always there.  I see the strong, protective lighthouse and I see God as the lighthouse.  The verse is so true “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Psalm 18:2.  I do not need to fear what is going on around me because He is there.  It makes me think that He is the lighthouse and I am always protected. He is bigger than the storms that is raging.

Then, I think about the person that is standing at the door of the lighthouse.  He is still in the middle of the storm.  The lighthouse has not stopped the storm or made the waves go away.  The lighthouse served as a shelter from the storm.  God is our shelter.  God has never said that we would not go through storms in our lives, but he has said that he would be there every step of the way.  We may not always feel or sense his presence.  The Bible says in Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  God does not go back on his word.  I might see the storm that is raging but I know that He is here, He is always there.  I may not know how to everything will work out, but God is there teaching and leading me through it.  It is a wonderful feeling to know that God is always there with me whether I recognize it or not.

But it does not stop there.  As I continue to look at this print, I also see a different aspect of the lighthouse.  The symbolic meaning of a lighthouse can symbolize various things, such as overcoming challenges and adversity or guidance. It is most used to symbolize a way forward and help in navigating through the world and the lighthouse itself, which can symbolize salvation and safety, especially in the face of adversity.  This makes me think about what God wants us as his children to be.  He wants us to be the lighthouse for those around us. The world is trouble and people are looking for someone or something to help them manage through the storms of this life.  We need to be those beacons that point to God.  That says God is here and he is always with you.  The last part about the lighthouse is what I want my house, my life and my family to be.  I want us to be a place of refuge, salvation and safety in the midst of trials and storms for those around me.  I want to be that beacon that God’s light can shine through to lead others through the storm and help to bring them to God.  God is here and he is always with you.  God is love. In 1John 4:9-11 it states “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” We are to be the love of God in everything that we do and say.  If we emit His love through everything we do.  We will be that light that people are attracted to.

By Sheila Torres