The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small uninhabited island.
He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and everyday 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.
The worst had happened! Everything was lost!
He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger.
"God, how could you do this to me?" he cried.
Early the next day 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.
Moral of the 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 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.