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 him from the elements, and to store
his few possessions.
But 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 is 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 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.