What's On Fire In Your Life?

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 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. 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.



One night I went to my monthly networking group and heard our guest speaker deliver an amazing story of her journey to Arizona. It reminded me of the above mentioned story that I had just posted on my Facebook page only a few weeks earlier. This metaphor became real life to one family.

The couple walked through the Boston area slogging through snow and warming cold hands against their Arizona-filled visions. With their youth left far behind them, their bodies protested deeply. Finally the husband said, “That’s it! We’re moving. We’re going to Arizona.”

A smile indicated the wife agreed. But how were they going to afford to leave? The details were not yet in place, but they shared a single vision. They saw it and wanted it. They spoke about it as if it were already happening.

Another cold winter came and the couple found themselves walking down the same street. Yet they were still planning and putting the pieces together. Although their circumstances hadn’t changed they knew one day their coats and mittens would be a thing of the past.

A notice came in the mail. Tears fell as they read the letter from the storage facility where some of their valuables had been kept. There had been a fire. The building was a complete loss.

For weeks the wife grieved the loss of the many irreplaceable antiques and family heirlooms.

Another notice came in the mail. It was from the insurance company. The tears were quickly vanquished when she saw the amount the insurance company was paying them for their loss. They were indeed going to Arizona after all.

What’s On Fire In Your Life? When the smoke slowly drifts away, what tiny blessing lies waiting beneath those ashes? I don't send this with a light heart. I know what it's like when things in your life fall apart and you think you'll never find your smile again. I know what it's like to lose a marriage, a good paying job and lose your home because of circumstances that are out of your control. But through my losses I found my passion for helping people and thus became a Life Coach.

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