Shipwrecked

As I was previewing pictures for my website, I ran across these photos from a trip Art and I took to Maine for my EAGALA certification. I found it quite interesting that the Anne Maguire shipwrecked on a fairly clear night, Christmas Eve 1886, only yards from the Portland Head Lighthouse! No one has ever been able to explain this, but the story of the Anne Maguire is very intriguing. She was orignially named The Golden State, and was quite a formidable clipper in her day (1853), holding many speed records. But, she fell on hard times, was purchased by new owners who clipped some of her sails and was converted from a champion thoroughbred to an ordinary plowhorse. No lives were lost that fateful night, but what did die was the end of an American maritime era. Many onlookers flocked to see the sight of a great ship crashed upon the rocks so near the lighthouse. It was not there long, however, as a fierce storm sank what was left of the legendary vessel, whose name was misspelled on the rock.

This story and photos made me contemplate how easy it is to shipwreck our lives by focusing on the wrong things. Many of the crew members that night stated they could clearly see the beam from the lighthouse and cannot explain the disaster. Do we clearly see truth, but choose to focus on other things? An ancient proverb tells us, "Where there is no vision, the people perish..." The beginning of this new year presents a perfect time to determine what our lighthouse of truth will be and to fix our eyes upon it in order to avoid the shipwreck of our hopes, dreams, plans and relationships.