The Smoke Signal

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 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.