Lighthouses.
Yesterday, I went by my local coffee roaster to pick up an iced coffee. You may think this is no big deal but it really is. It really really is. One, I live in the middle of nowhere but somehow have a coffee roaster 10 minutes from my house. They even carry the ever trendy nitro cold brew. Two, the family that owns and runs the coffee roasting gazebo is straight up and down AMAZING.
A family of six kids and a mom and a dad, the Burkholders are all awesome sauce in their own right. Each member of the family is special and original and honestly, they are just so cool. But, if I had to pick, my favorite member would be their mother, Lynne.
Lynne is the kind of person who inspires you to think, read and investigate. She is a seeker. She is fierce. She is independent. A christian woman who is constantly investigating the world, her purpose and how those things work in tandem. She enjoys challenging status quo. She wants to walk the path of christianity with love. She is a lighthouse.
For example, she runs a home school group called The Wider School, where she encourages the students to question things. She had a speaker on climate change (which is controversial out here in rural PA.) She has run retreats for women about the cycle of domestic abuse. I just love talking to her so much. When discussing trans rights and issues, she discussed a trans person she knows and used the right pronouns.
I love people who are on a mission for the truth. I love people who are authentic. I love people who own their power. Lynne is so powerful. She is smart and loving and all the kinds of things that make you want to be better. She is a lighthouse. She protects those at sea by shining out her light, her authentic self. She is a lighthouse.
In a world filled with so much untruth, so much ugliness, so many dark and shadowy spots, we need more lighthouses. I am grateful to Lynne. Being a lighthouse is hard work. Being your true self, can be challenging. Her light allows the rest of us to see ourselves better.
Who are your lighthouses?