The New Puppy

TROWEL & SWORD

Resources - Children's Pages

November 1999

The New Puppy

Mrs. Anne Groenenboom

“Has anyone seen my other slipper?” Dad asked as he came into the kitchen. Chris and Amy looked at him in surprise as he stood in the doorway with one slipper on and the other foot bare.
“Where did you leave it?” Mum asked the same question she always asked any of the family when they couldn’t find something.
“I left it on the back steps with this one, when I changed into my boots to water the garden... and when I came back there was only one slipper there.” Dad replied.
“Perhaps it was a one-legged burglar!” Amy suggested with a giggle.
“I don’t really think anyone would want to steal your father’s slipper, especially when it’s falling to pieces anyway,” Mum laughed. “I think the best thing to do would be just to buy a new pair.”

The mystery was solved later, when their neighbour came in to ask if the slipper she had found in her back yard belonged to Dad.
“We have a new puppy and it carries off everything it can find. It has obviously found a way to get under the fence, too,” she sighed. “I’m beginning to feel sorry that we told the kids they could have a puppy, it’s more nuisance than it’s worth!”

Dad spent the morning blocking up any puppy-sized holes he found in the fence and Mum warned them all to make sure they didn’t leave anything lying around, just in case the puppy found another hole to wriggle through. The puppy seemed determined to come into their backyard and the children soon discovered that there was a lot of work involved in having a puppy living next door. They had to check the fence every day for new holes and they had to make sure that they didn’t leave anything where the puppy could get it. Carla’s toys from the sandpit had to be kept in a box in the cubbyhouse when she wasn’t playing with them and one windy day, when a towel blew down from the clothesline, the puppy chewed it up before Mum noticed what had happened.

When Dad went to water the garden one morning, water spurted up everywhere.
“This hose is full of puppy toothmarks!” he complained. “That dog is a pest! I wish the Jacksons would keep him at home.”
“But if we complain, Mrs. Jackson might get angry and then we’d miss out on any opportunities to talk about Jesus with her,” Mum reminded him. They had asked Mrs. Jackson several times about coming to church, but she always had some excuse ready. Dad nodded. “I guess we have to put up with the puppy and hope it learns some sense very quickly... or grows too big to come through the holes in the fence.”

“Now we have two pests... Carla and the puppy!” Chris commented with a grin and that made Mum very cross indeed. She gave him a withering look and Chris knew he was in trouble even before his mother said a word.
“That’s not fair, Chris!” Mum told him firmly. “I know that Carla was into everything when she was little, but we’ve already told you lots of times, that’s how babies learn about things around them. You and Amy were just the same, you know. Carla doesn’t get into much trouble at all now, does she?”
Chris felt embarrassed as he shook his head. Although he and Amy still had to keep an eye on their little sister from time to time, she wasn’t such a nuisance these days. She played happily with her toys and she sometimes joined in whatever game Chris and Amy were playing, without wrecking it up. He had to admit that his little sister wasn’t too bad after all.
“I’m sorry, Mum. I shouldn’t have been so mean.” he apologised.

“Can’t the Jacksons teach their puppy how to behave itself, just like we’ve had to teach Carla not to do things?” Amy asked, but Mum shook her head.
“The puppy is only an animal... so he can only learn the things that dogs need to know. Animals can learn to do a few tricks and even though they are sometimes very intelligent, there’s a limit to what they can learn,” Mum explained. “That’s one of the differences God has made between people and animals. God has made us special, because He has given us the ability to learn and do new things... and we can keep on learning, all through our lives.”

“Puppies eventually learn not to do the things that get them into trouble and it may seem to you two that you’ve also learned not to do things that get you into trouble... but there’s a lot more to what you learn,” Dad told Chris and Amy. “Remember how Carla used to scribble on anything you left where she could get it? Well now she has learned to draw and colour in for herself. It may still look scribbly and messy to you, but she is happy with what she does... and she’ll keep on learning to draw and colour in better as she gets older. She may even develop her skills so well that she can use them in whatever work she chooses to do when she grows up.”

“As you grow up, you’ll keep on learning to do new things... and you two will both be old enough now, to see how our new baby will grow and learn to do things for itself. In fact, you’ll be able to teach it to do things, just as you’ve helped to teach Carla.” Mum continued and she noticed that Chris looked surprised when she said that.
“I didn’t know we taught Carla to do things,” he commented.
“Well, you helped to teach her to talk and you’ve taught her to sing songs. You’ve shown her how to play with her toys and you are also teaching her when you read stories to her. We’re all involved in teaching her, in the same way as Dad and I are teaching you both new things all the time.’

“That’s another way that God has made us special,” Dad explained. “We can love and help and encourage each other as we can teach each other. We are also teaching you the most important thing of all... to love the Lord and to use your talents to serve Him in whatever you do... and as we teach you, you help us to teach Carla.”
“We all have a special task, to teach others about the Lord and what He has done for us.” Mum added and Chris and Amy thought about the Jacksons next door.

Mum was quite surprised later that day, when Mrs Jackson came to the door to apologise for all the trouble the puppy was causing them.
“Chloe told me that the puppy chewed up your hose and a lot of other things too. Why didn’t you tell me what was happening?” she asked and Mum said a very quick, quiet prayer before she answered.
“Well, we didn’t want to spoil our friendship with you all... and we’re using the hose as a soaker hose, so it didn’t really matter that much...” Mum stopped for a minute and then she continued, “and besides, Jesus says we must be loving and forgiving at all times. We wanted to show you how important it is to our family to belong to Jesus and how much we want you to share in the blessings of belonging to Him, too.” Mum took a deep breath and wondered what Mrs. Jackson would say.

“I was sure you’d be so angry with me about the puppy that you’d never speak to me again... and I wanted to ask you why you are so friendly and cheerful all the time, even when things go wrong. I’m beginning to understand what it really means to be a Christian, especially as my girls go around the house singing songs about Jesus all the time, songs they’ve learned from Amy and Carla. Would it be all right if we came to your church next Sunday?”
Mum nodded. She was so thrilled that her prayers had been answered that she couldn’t say anything and she started to cry. She hugged Mrs. Jackson and soon Mrs. Jackson was crying too. There was great excitement when Mum told the rest of the family what had happened and they thanked God together that their prayers had been answered.

SOME THINGS TO DO:
1. Think about all the people you know and make a list of the ones who don’t know Jesus yet. Pray for them every day, that they may come to know Jesus as their Saviour.

2. Remember that the way you behave is a witness to other people and always try to be a good witness for Jesus. It is especially important to be fair and honest in your dealings with your friends and also to guard against losing your temper or saying mean things to others, when they have been mean to you. Ask Jesus to help you with this.

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