The lighthouse
My grandfather was a lighthouse keeper back in the early part of the 20th. Century. So now you know I’m no spring chicken. Getting back to grandpa …as I said he was a lighthouse keeper when my Dad was a little boy, or at least perhaps early teens, I’m not sure. Anyway “Bubba” being the name the grandkid’s affectionately called him tended the light at Head Harbour on Campobello Island in New Brunswick Canada…it is also called East Quoddy Head Light. Pretty impressive, eh?(As they say here in Canada) If you know anything about Campobello Island you’ll know that it is located in the Bay of Fundy where the highest tides in the world are. And if you think that the highest tides occur in Alaska, guess what …..wrong!
Again getting back to “Bubba” and his lighthouse……when the tide went out or down (whatever terminology is correct isn’t important)you can walk to the little island on which the lighthouse still stands but you don’t have a lot of time to get back because once the tide turns and starts to come back in (or up) it doesn’t take long before you are stranded there. Or worse caught in the tide and swept off your feet. That’s when those swimming lessons come in handy.
“Bubba” had a dinghy (that’s a small row boat, landlubbers) but you only needed it when the beach was under water, which is most of the time.
So my Dad and his brother were pretty good oarsmen. Also if you know anything about the bay of Fundy it can get mighty foggy in about two minutes if it so desires and you can’t even see the island when you need to….but you can see the light (that’s why it’s there…duh…) So when Dad couldn’t see the beach or the little island, he still could see the light and you would have to be stone deaf not to hear that fog horn. It would just about blow you out of the boat.
There is a song that talks about the lighthouse on the hillside that overlooks life’s sea and when I’m tossed it’s a light that I can see…it goes on to say…”I thank God for the lighthouse, I owe my life to Him” and there’s no doubt that many fishermen and mariners in general owe their lives to East Quoddy Light…Head Harbour Light if you please but, the greatest light of all is the truth of God’s Word and that book is called the holy bible. Jesus is the lighthouse the song says and how true that statement is. Sometimes you can’t see the island…..but you can always see the light and you know that the island is there and just inside the small island that supports the lighthouse is Head Harbour, a safe haven. You can anchor there or tie up to the wharf safely.
The hymn writer many years ago put it this way…
“My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea so burdened with sin and distressed…”…know what he is talking about? But then he says “I’ve anchored my soul in the haven of rest, I’ll sail the wide seas no more , The tempest may sweep ‘ore the wild stormy deep,” but … “in Jesus I’m safe evermore” Hallelujah!
If you are tossed and driven tonight on that sea remember that Jesus is the haven of rest.
My grandfather was a lighthouse keeper back in the early part of the 20th. Century. So now you know I’m no spring chicken. Getting back to grandpa …as I said he was a lighthouse keeper when my Dad was a little boy, or at least perhaps early teens, I’m not sure. Anyway “Bubba” being the name the grandkid’s affectionately called him tended the light at Head Harbour on Campobello Island in New Brunswick Canada…it is also called East Quoddy Head Light. Pretty impressive, eh?(As they say here in Canada) If you know anything about Campobello Island you’ll know that it is located in the Bay of Fundy where the highest tides in the world are. And if you think that the highest tides occur in Alaska, guess what …..wrong!
Again getting back to “Bubba” and his lighthouse……when the tide went out or down (whatever terminology is correct isn’t important)you can walk to the little island on which the lighthouse still stands but you don’t have a lot of time to get back because once the tide turns and starts to come back in (or up) it doesn’t take long before you are stranded there. Or worse caught in the tide and swept off your feet. That’s when those swimming lessons come in handy.
“Bubba” had a dinghy (that’s a small row boat, landlubbers) but you only needed it when the beach was under water, which is most of the time.
So my Dad and his brother were pretty good oarsmen. Also if you know anything about the bay of Fundy it can get mighty foggy in about two minutes if it so desires and you can’t even see the island when you need to….but you can see the light (that’s why it’s there…duh…) So when Dad couldn’t see the beach or the little island, he still could see the light and you would have to be stone deaf not to hear that fog horn. It would just about blow you out of the boat.
There is a song that talks about the lighthouse on the hillside that overlooks life’s sea and when I’m tossed it’s a light that I can see…it goes on to say…”I thank God for the lighthouse, I owe my life to Him” and there’s no doubt that many fishermen and mariners in general owe their lives to East Quoddy Light…Head Harbour Light if you please but, the greatest light of all is the truth of God’s Word and that book is called the holy bible. Jesus is the lighthouse the song says and how true that statement is. Sometimes you can’t see the island…..but you can always see the light and you know that the island is there and just inside the small island that supports the lighthouse is Head Harbour, a safe haven. You can anchor there or tie up to the wharf safely.
The hymn writer many years ago put it this way…
“My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea so burdened with sin and distressed…”…know what he is talking about? But then he says “I’ve anchored my soul in the haven of rest, I’ll sail the wide seas no more , The tempest may sweep ‘ore the wild stormy deep,” but … “in Jesus I’m safe evermore” Hallelujah!
If you are tossed and driven tonight on that sea remember that Jesus is the haven of rest.
posted by Randall | 4:54 p.m.
3 Comments:
It’s funny in a sad sort of way that the light is visible the horn it sounds but on life’s journey people choose not to see or hear. They’ve traveled the familiar roads of life and coastlines so long that they think they know the way. Then when the fog rolls in or life’s storms tosses them to and fro, that some look to the light…and we as Christians; are we blowing our horns loud enough for those to hear?
Dale
I know that light house and also Bubba. We are so thankful for the Light house we have in Christ Jesus and for the direction is always just what we need at the time to keep us on the right track. I pray we are all letting out light shine and our horns are blowing loud so the world can find its way to the Cross.
B&G
This reminds me so much of being in St. Vincent when we sang in Sunday School that Sunday morning. There werent many in attendance, but we sang "this little light of mine." We didnt do so well, but that song stuck with me because thats what we were there to do. We went to let our light shine in front of those children and others so that they might see a difference in us!! That difference is Jesus! I want to be in the light and not in the darkness. Thank you Jesus!!
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