The Beacon of Light

It was about four years ago I was shopping at the mall in Davenport, Iowa. I went into the Christian Book store to only browse with no intention to buy a thing. But there was this beautiful painting of a lighthouse set on a hill. A white clapboard home sat close to the lighthouse in the painting with whimsical green grass swaying in the ocean wind in the forefront of the picture. I stopped and stared for a prolonged period of time at the painting. The clerk interupted my peaceful daydream state asking if I needed help. I said, "No, I was just looking." She replied, "The picture is half off." I quickly called my husband and asked if I could purchase the picture to which he answered, "Sure".

The picture has now hung on the walls of three different homes. Twice I have placed it in the dining room and with this past move I decided it matched our bedroom perfectly. I placed it on the wall right where I knew I could wake up and imagine the ocean view. Most often when I stare at the picture I am fairly close, but our bedroom is now very large and I placed a recliner on the opposite side of the room as the print.

The other evening I was sitting in the recliner and a paused from my reading to look up at the lighthouse on the wall. I did a double take squinting my eyes in disbelief. Could it really be I was seeing the face of Jesus in the light house where the beacon of light would arise to warn those at sea. I jumped from the chair and got close to the print. No, I didn't see Christ at this angle. I went back to the chair and his face appeared again. I called my son to come look at the print from the recliner...he didn't see it at first, but after about five minutes the Saviors face revealed itself to him as well. My son was amazed. Wow! What a pleasant surprise!

Sometimes when we are in the midst of a storm we get to involved...we are to close to the situation to realize God's intended choice for the plan he has for our lives. Alot of times we choose wrong in hastiness not taking the time to step back, pray, and wait on the answer from the Lord. It took me four years to realize Jesus was hidden in the painting of the lighthouse as the beacon of light. I just needed to take a step back, view it from afar, and Christ revealed his face to me!