March 1 – “Shipwreck”

In my mail bin Sunday morning was a newsletter from the local Baptist Associational office.  The director there wrote an article that included the following story.              The next time you get down and discouraged, think about this guy.  He was the only survivor of a shipwreck and 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 stung with 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.           It is easy to get discouraged when things are not going great.  But we shouldn't lost heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of trouble and discouragement.           Who knows?  Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground – it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.   Randy had no idea about our weekend or the week we still have to face.  But God did.   Hebrews 13:1 says, "Keep on loving each other as brothers."   Father, thanks for talking to me through people who don't even know it's happening.  That's kind of fun to think about.  Amen.