Island Story

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In the midst of our country's economic uncertainty, and thus our hesitancy to be generous in the sharing our
blessings, I came across this article that helps put our journey through life back into perspective.
This article was written by one of our own members.

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A small cruise ship was caught in a violent storm, and wrecked off the shore of a desolate island. The ship was a total loss and was swept away without a trace; but everyone who had been aboard made it safely to land. No one had managed to send a message to the mainland, so no one held hope of being rescued any time soon, if ever. The cast-aways found no human inhabitants on the island; but there was a hut, damaged by the storm, that contained a small cache of food, perhaps enough for everyone for a number of weeks. The first joy over finding food quickly subsided at the prospect of limited survival.

As the first days passed, there came growing desperation and competition and conniving over the meager food supply. One man returned to the despoiled hut, hoping to find hidden supplies. He found no food, but he did find papers and books strewn about by the storm. He discovered that one book contained the schedule of a government vessel that landed monthly at this very island for the purpose of scientific study. And, according to this same book, it was only a week before the ship was to arrive on its rounds. Astounded and excited, the man ran out to the others with this great news.

The reaction of the people to this news surprised the man. While he had been in the hut reading, the community was meeting on the beach, deciding who deserved a share in the dwindling supplies, and (more ominously) who did not. Most of the people, upon hearing the news of the schedule, did not believe it; indeed, many laughed at the man for thinking it might be true. Two or three began to put a little hope in it, but even they were still more concerned about securing their fair share of the supplies. As it happened, the decision of apportioning food had been made it the man's absence. He was allotted a generous portion from the stocks, while most of the others in the group received almost nothing.

A great divide opened between the community and the man. The people were fearful and angry, because they saw meager supplies on a land surrounded by boundless water, and life as they had known it drawing to a dismal and quickly approaching end. The man, however, was light-hearted and contented, because he saw a short-term hardship to be followed by a return to the abundant life he had been living prior to the time of the wreck.

His question to himself was: “What am I to do with what has been given to me? I could just keep quiet about the schedule (since so many ridiculed me), and take my portion of the supplies off to some corner to wait out the rescue as though I were on a well-deserved vacation. Or I could continue to talk about the schedule to the few that showed a little interest, and perhaps share some of my food with them. But I see that the people round me have become full of hatred and anger and despair, because they've been left without hope. I know that I am able to survive these next few days, even on nothing if I had to. Even if I'm uncomfortable now, it is no big deal, because I know I am going home soon. I know what I'll do: I will give them all of my food, to encourage them to believe the schedule and not give up hope.”

Christ has come to us, and has shown us that this life has meaning far beyond what we see at hand. This life is not all there is (as the world believes it); in fact, it is very little of all there is. You and I live now in the assured hope of heaven. We Americans also live in the lap of great wealth, the blessings received from God for His purposes. We know that the stuff of this life will pass; we know that the glories of what is to come will make a vacation in Tahiti seem like exile to a prison camp; and we know that the work of reaching others with the Gospel will only be done through the gifts God has given us.

So we, like the man on the island, must question ourselves: “What am I to do with what God has given to ME?”