The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited
island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him.
Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood
to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.
One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut
in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had
happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He
cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'
Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the
island! It had come to rescue him! 'How did you know I was here?' asked
the weary man of his rescuers. 'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.
The Moral of This Story:
It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we
shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in
the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your
little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke
signal that summons the Grace of God.
P.S. You may want to consider passing this on,
because you never know who feels as if
their hut is on fire today.