In ‘n donker stormnag, toe golwe soos berge aangerol gekom het en geen ster in sig was nie, is ‘n skip naby die Cleveland hawe soos ‘n speelding in die stormsee rondgegooi.
“Is jy seker dit is Cleveland,” het die kaptein gevra? Net ‘n enkel liggie was van die Lighuis af sigbaar.
“Honder persent seker,” het die skipper bo die storm se gedruis geskreeu.
“Waar is die strandligte?”
“Dit brand nie meer nie, kaptein,” het die skipper geantwoord.
“Sal jy die hawe kan haal,” wou die kaptein weet.
“Ons moet... anders sterf ons almal kaptein!”
Met ‘n sterke hand en ‘n dapper hart het die ou skipper die wiel gedraai, maar tevergeefs, in die duister en die verraderlike stormsee het hy die hawe se ingang gemis.
Die skip het op die rotse te pletter geloop en baie lewens het in ‘n watergraf gesterf.
“Broers, die Meester sal na die Lighuis omsien, maar ons moet die strandligte aan die brand hou,” het D.L. Moody gesê.
Wanneer ‘n skip sink of strand, help die Lighuis se lig nie meer nie, dan moet daar mense langs die strand met ligte beweeg en dit op die golwe skyn. Aan die een kant help dit drenkelinge om te besef waar veiligheid is waarheen hulle moet probeer swem of met reddingsbote heen vaar.
Dit help egter ook die mense op die strand om ‘n hulpelose in die golwe te sien en redders in te stuur om hulle te red.
Die ligte op die strand is van kandinale belang in geval van ‘n seeramp. Mens durf nooit opgee op lewe nie. Hou die ligte reg deur die nag aan die brand.
Skrywer het saam met ander tydens twee seerampe so deur die nag langs die strand uitgekyk vir drenkelinge.
Skrywer was een keer self op ’n visboot in ‘n donker stormsee vasgekeer. Dit was die ligte langs die strand wat ons na veiligheid gelei het, alhoewel dit ure geneem het om veiligheid te bereik.
So sterf daar gereeld drenkelinge op die lewenssee. Kyk net hoe rof, ontstuimig en verraderlik het die lewenssee geword. Ons as Gelowigers is die enigste wat hulle kan red. Ons moet ons ligte langs die lewensstrand laat skyn, nou, veral in die moeilike tye,en die storms wat voorlê.
Ons moet Jesus se onvoltooide werk klaarmaak, die getal volmaak. Dis my en jou taak.
Die strandligte moet ten alle tye in hierdie donker sondewêreld brand. God hanteer die Lighuis, ons hanteer die strandligte... soos die volgende pragtige lied dit weergee....
Let the lower lights be burning
Brightly beams our Father’s mercy,
From His Lighthouse evermore,
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.
Refrain:
Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.
Dark the night of sin has settled,
Loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore.
Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor seaman, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbour,
In the darkness may be lost.
With the Saviour as your pilot
Your have conquered wind and wave
Let His brightness shining through you
Be a beacon light to save.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=let+the+lower+lights+keep+burning+lyrics&qpvt=let+the+lower+lights+keep+burning+lyrics&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=79FC48FB863F3254B97779FC48FB863F3254B977
What Happened after This Family Prayed before Their Meal at an Oklahoma Restaurant
We see a lot of people paying it forward, buying for other people."
(Oklahoma)—Check, please. (Photo/KFOR)
A family was going about their morning at a local breakfast restaurant in Oklahoma, bowing their heads to thank God for their sausages, eggs and pancakes.
After their meal, they expected their bill when their waiter handed them a note instead: "Because you prayed, we paid. Continue to raise your sons in Christ. God Bless."
The gesture about had the mother in tears, KFOR reports.
"We see a lot of people paying it forward, buying for other people. Especially coming holiday time, we see a lot of that, we do. Because we have really good customers," the restaurant's assistant manager tells the news site.
Paying it forward is a growing trend at restaurants and drive-thrus, as one person paying for another behind them sparks a spirit of giving among customers.
Take an experience last month as an example: A high-school football team decided to pay it forward after another man blessed them with a meal.
"The guy told us to say, 'God bless them,' so we made sure we told them and they were like 'no, God bless him,'" the restaurant owner told ABC News. Members of the team then paid for other customers.
The phenomenon also occurred at a Florida Starbucks, where 378 people paid for the person behind them, inspired by the generosity of the previous customers.
