I read this story earlier in the week in response to something a friend of mine is going through. What it says to me is that we can’t always see why circumstances happen, we don’t know when we are in the middle of something devastating what purpose it will serve. We tend to listen to the voice in our head that tells us everything bad that can happen will happen, forgetting that life is a mixture of experiences, rather than accepting the fact that the only constant in the world is change and change can feel devastating especially when it is forced upon us without our consent, especially when that change is one that is our of our control, sometimes we have the mistaken belief that we can control everything and when life goes wrong we are reminded that we control nothing, except how we handle the circumstances. So here’s a little reminder that we don’t always see in 3 dimensions.
When Your Hut’s on Fire
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. 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. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, ‘God! How could you do this to me?’ Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship 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.
The Moral of This 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 our 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.
I had read this before, but a wonderful lesson to remember when times aren’t going the way we think they should…reminds me of a song by Garth Brooks called unanswered prayers.
I like to think of it too when I can’t seem to see a bigger picture!
This is such a poignant message. When I am initially faced with traumatic situations I have a hard time grounding myself and trusting that things will right themselves. But, as life goes on I am believing more and more that everything DOES happen for a reason.
I am coming to that realization as well. Maybe it happens with age, because when I look back I can always see the reason, well most of the time and so it helps me to remember the message.