The only survivor of a shipwreck was 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 forth coming.
在一場船難中，唯一的倖存者隨著潮水，漂流到一座荒無人煙的小島上。他焦躁不安地祈禱上帝能夠救他。每天他都注視著海上是否有可搭救他的人，但似乎沒有人前來。
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.
感覺筋疲力盡，他最終決定用浮木造一個簡陋的小木屋，以保護他在這險惡的環境中生存，並且保存他所剩無幾的東西。
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.
但有一天，在他搜尋完食物回到小屋時，卻發現他的小屋陷入熊熊烈火之中，滾滾濃煙不斷向天上竄。
The worst had happened: everything was lost.
最糟糕的是:他所有的一切通通化為烏有。
He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.
他既悲痛又憤怒，茫然不知所措，怒喊道:“神啊！你怎麼可以這樣對我！”
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.
第二天一早，他被一艘正向小島駛近的船隻的鳴笛聲吵醒。那是來救他的。
How did you know I was here? he asked the weary man of his rescuers.
“你們怎麼知道我在這裡？”他問那些船員中一個充滿倦意的人。
We saw your smoke signal, they replied.
“我們看到了你發出的煙霧信號。”他們回答說。
It is 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.
人處於困境時，很容易變得沮喪。但我們不應失去信心，因為上帝一直在我們的生活中做著工作，甚至在我們遭遇疼痛和苦難時也是這樣。
Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it.
記住：當下一次你的小木屋燒燬時，那可能只是召喚上帝美妙恩典的煙霧信號而已。在所有我們認為負面的事情，上帝都有正面的答案。
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