Acts 27:14, 21-22
14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
An old stooped and bedraggled man made his exit from a small well-kept cottage situated on a grassy knoll. He began to make his way with feeble certainty down a well-worn path that meandered out onto a perilous rocky point. It is there that the old lighthouse stands pointing it’s directing finger toward the one who was creator of all things. We sense the elderly man’s determination as he approaches the old weathered lighthouse to once more accomplish the task that seemed unimportant to everyone else. As he reaches for the door, we see hands that have cracked and bled from years of labor in the salty sea air, which even now sweeps around him. Suddenly! We hear the groan of rusty hinges that have suffered through the same circumstances. The door opens to reveal the floor where this man’s feet have shuffled for what would seem an eternity. His weary feet have left a well-worn path to the rustic spiral staircase where he now begins his slow yet steady ascent. He remembers the many days, months, and years that he has made this climb to do his daily task. To him it was his duty. He was committed to all those upon the sea.
The footfalls of the elderly man have been constant here for many years. Each evening he thinks, “As long as I can find the strength I will make this climb.” He had accepted it as his calling in life. Something that he would do and not look back and now for so many years he has performed his task with conviction and constancy. Mumbling as he works he says, “There shall never a stormy night pass, without lighting the lantern in the old lighthouse.” He knows that it must shine to veer those vessels that are tossed and driven upon the stormy seas away from the perils of the craggy shores. Many had come and gone before him, however none had met the task as readily, nor as constantly as he had. He realized that it wasn’t just a job, a position, or an obligation but it was a calling, yes a calling of God to be a CONSTANT IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM. A savior, a redeemer, a watchman, to protect the storm tossed vessels from falling on the rocks. It was for this reason that he entered the reflector room as the fleeting rays of sunshine stretched their golden fingers upon that rocky point to reveal his silhouette.
Now he began the task of filling the lanterns, buffing the lenses and trimming the wicks so that the light that would shine into the stormy night would be it’s brightest. As the clouds began to gather and the dusk began to fall listlessly upon the sea the old man strikes a match and ever so carefully touches the wick, which begins to glow and send forth it’s life saving light. But the real light, the real hero, the real deliverer of those upon the sea this night is an old feeble man that has said in his heart “I must be a constant!” It isn’t just a job it’s my calling!
We commend all of our senior citizen’s for allowing the light of your wisdom to light the seas of our circumstance. You have walked the well-worn path through God’s word for many years. You have faced storm after perilous storm and stood without wavering. The winds of time have not toppled your faith. The ebb and flow of the surf has not eroded your confidence in God. You have been established as a “Constant in the middle of the storm.” When the younger—less mature—saints would have caved in, you stood firm upon the “rock”. You have shone the light of warning into the tempestuous winds of our modern world. Because of this you have kept us from the perilous rocky crags and reefs of compromise and certain doom. Thank you for letting your light shine as a “constant in the middle of our storm.”
