Why is the Sabbath day special to me and my family? And to God! Let me start with a story.

One foggy night, so it goes, a U.S. carrier was sailing off the coast.

Seeing a light in the distance, the captain of the ship called over the radio and said, “Please divert your course 15 degrees south to avoid a collision.”  

A voice came over the radio in reply, “We recommend you divert your course 15 degrees north to avoid a collision.”  

The captain said again, “This is the captain of a U.S. Navy Ship. I say again, divert your course.”    

In defiance, the voice on the other line said, “No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.”

Frustrated and angry, the Navy captain said once again, “THIS IS A UNITED STATES AIRCRAFT CARRIER - WE ARE A LARGE WARSHIP OF THE US NAVY.   DIVERT YOUR COURSE NOW!!”  

This time, he heard in reply, “We are a light house.  It’s your call.” 

The message from the lighthouse

While it’s a humorous story, the message is an important one.

We had better heed lighthouses. They provide a light and a place to direct ships to a safe harbor.

Every seventh day, Saturday, my family and I set aside our weekly work and keep the Sabbath. We meet together with those who share this understanding at a religious service as we come to worship God on the day he instructed us to keep holy (Exodus 20:8-11).

My family and I consider the Sabbath as a spiritual lighthouse, for it is a day the Creator made special and on which we remember the spiritual light He provides while we rest from our labors. It also reminds us of a place to seek a safe harbor in a stressful world and to spiritually refresh ourselves.

Finally, the Sabbath is a place to fellowship with like-minded people, who respect the spiritual light and instruction that God turns on every Sabbath for us to remember and honor Him.