The ephemeral of this side of eternity

There was a man who wanted a unique home. He decided to buy a lighthouse.

He knew the lighthouse was in need of repair. Over the years, the salt air and constant bombardment of storms had worn down the old lighthouse. The windows were corroded, the paint had peeled and the mortar between the brick and stone was loose, crumbling and in some places missing. He had a tremendous task before him of not just restoring the lighthouse, but making it into his home.

He set out not only to repair the old lighthouse but also to make it better -- adding a window where there was none just so he could enjoy the view. He installed a kitchen that the finest chefs would be envious of. There was no running water to the lighthouse or plumbing in the lighthouse, so he had to be creative in addressing issues of the bathroom.

Finally the work was done. There he was, enjoying the view, basking in the pride that comes from a job well done. His dream had become reality.

Then he noticed the new window had already started to corrode. A storm had battered the old lighthouse and the fresh coat of paint now had some chips in it. The perfect solution for his plumbing problem turned out not to be so perfect after all.

Midnight had struck, and the old lighthouse was, right before his eyes, turning back into a pumpkin.

This lighthouse reminds me of what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:1: "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands."

Everything that we hold dear this side of eternity -- no matter how glorious, unique and spectacular it is -- is temporary.

That should not cause us despair, but call us to live for that which is eternal, that which truly matters. We long for that which lasts, that which endures.

We should restore old lighthouses; we should invest ourselves in that which makes this side of eternity as glorious as it can be. We must do so knowing that for every temporary investment we make, it is done with the longing for that which is eternal.