Do Not Build Your Lighthouse on the Sand

At least once a year my extended family would take a vacation on the Outerbanks of North Carolina. Those trips rank among some of my favorite childhood memories. We would hang out, fish, ride bikes all over the island, learn about Black Beard the Pirate, and visit old lighthouses.

The Outerbanks are home to The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in the United States, and the second-tallest brick lighthouse in the world. Built in 1871, its swirling black and white design and the coastline make it as picturesque of a lighthouse as you can imagine, but back in the mid-90s' North Carolina had a problem. Beach erosion was slowly encroaching on the foundation of the lighthouse. By 1999 the beach was only 15 feet from the lighthouse. It seemed its historic run was coming to an end.

Until someone somewhere floated the idea to move it. This wouldn't be an easy move, but civil engineers thought it could be done. The plan was to move the lighthouse and all its supporting buildings about 1500 feet from the eroding shore. After some discussion and a few lawsuits, the plan to move began. They picked it up, put it on tracks, and moved it a total of 2900 feet. It was a feat of engineering that garnered the moving contractors an American Society of Civil Engineers award for what was coined "The Move of the Millennium." To this day it is one of the tallest masonry moves ever successfully attempted.

An interesting fact that's not particularly important to the story, but still kind of cool is that my grandparents traveled to watch a portion of the move. While there they were allowed to put pennies on the track and to have them flattened under the weight of the lighthouse.

This story reveals the importance of a foundation. Even a grand structure like the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse can't survive without a sturdy foundation. Tomorrow, we finish the Sermon on the Mount by looking at one of Jesus' most famous stories about two men that built houses. One built on eroding sand and the other built on a rock. When the storm came, as you may imagine, their houses had very different outcomes.

Tomorrow we're going to discover the importance of anchoring our lives into a foundation that can withstand the storms of life. I can't wait to start the new year right by worshiping Christ with you!