The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a
small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to
rescue him, and 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.
Then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home
to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to
the sky. The worst had happened - everything was lost. He
was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do
this to me?" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of
a ship that was 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.
It's easy to get discouraged sometimes when things appear
to be going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God
is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and
suffering.
Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the
ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace
of God.
For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves,
God has a positive answer for it.
