Hi, all you kind folks in Readership Land. My name is Angel and I’m a church mouse. I get to see a lot of things most folks are either too busy (or something) to notice.

I read this e-tale over a parishioner’s shoulder and found it rather thought provoking.

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.

"God! How could you do this to me," he cried out. 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.

P.S. You may want to consider passing this on, because you never know who feels as if their hut is on fire today.