There are versions of a story that has circulated simply by internet or word of mouth since the 1930’s. It’s the story of a U.S Navy warship in Canadian waters on a very foggy night. To the surprise of the captain, he perceived the lights of another smaller vessel through the fog, dangerously close. He demanded that the other boat turn 15 degrees south to avoid a collision. The response was, “We are not moving. Turn 15 degrees north to avoid a collision.” the captain of the naval ship was enraged. Finally he commanded the other vessel to move, “This is the Aircraft Carrier USS Montana. We are a large warship of the U.S. Navy. . . Divert your course now!!” The reply came quickly: “We are a lighthouse. Your call.”

It is such a popular story that it has been called an “urban legend” Members of the U.S. Navy have sometimes used it in presentations, but there is no documentation of its truth. I first heard it from a preacher in a sermon. Whenever I’m reminded of this story I laugh again. That may be why it has survived for so long: it’s funny to think of mistaking a lighthouse for a ship, and funny to think of the embarrassment of the captain. In some ways, though, we are all like that captain. We sometimes live in a fog, a fog of unknowing our own selves. Thinking we are moving in a direction of our own choice, we miss important signs that tell us the truth of God’s plan for us.

King David experienced the need to rest the course of his life in his prayer, Hide your face from my sins and blot out my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:9-10)

The fog is sometimes in our own lives when we wonder where our God is. It’s then that we need to check our charts for a glimpse of the way to turn.:Your teachers will be hidden no more . Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:20-21) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12) The light within can keep us from colliding with a lighthouse,or making selfish decisions to our own hurt. That light was given to the disciples to carry into the world. They received it and carried it and it is still shining in our own time. The light within is God’s Holy Spirit.

Love in Him,

Prue