The Little Things

Jamey, put the napkin on the left side of the plate,” Natasha said, leaning over her sister.

“Right,” Jamey agreed, moving the floral printed napkin. Stepping back to admire the beautiful table, she felt Gadget brush against her leg.

“Woof,” Gadget said with his most pitiful look.

“Now, Gadget,” Jamey answered, “you know you can’t have any of this food.”

Gadget whimpered and hid under the chair. The house smelled wonderful, but he tried not to think about all the delicious food. When two socked feet appeared in front of him, he decided to try again.

“Careful, Gadget,” Chaplain Simon laughed. “I almost spilled the casserole.”

Gadget wagged his tail enthusiastically. He hoped Chaplain Simon would give him a nibble of the dish. Instead, he said, “Now, Gadget, you know you can’t beg at the table.”

Gadget curled up in the sunny spot in front of the window. He watched his family finish setting the table. Gadget lowered his head onto his paws and closed his eyes. When he blinked his eyes back open, Jamey was standing in front of him. Gadget jumped up excitedly. Maybe she would give him something to munch on!

“Gadget,” Jamey said sweetly, “let’s take a selfie together.”

Gadget snuggled up to his favorite human. Jamey snapped the photo, and all too quickly ran back to the table.

Gadget walked past the pretty table, out the back door, and into the yard. He sniffed at the pile of golden leaves sitting beside the fence, then sat down next to it. Gadget wasn’t just sad about food; he felt left out.

Gadget blinked, his eyes closed, and when he opened them, there was Jamey again! This time he didn’t jump up.

“Gadget,” Jamey said, motioning for him to follow her. “I was looking for you. Come inside; I have something for you.” Gadget followed Jamey through the back door and into the kitchen.

“Look,” Jamey said, pointing to a little bowl on the floor next to the sink.

Gadget padded over and sniffed. The smell was wonderful. The food looked just like the food the family set on the table, like the food he wasn’t supposed to eat.

Jamey grinned, realizing that Gadget was confused. “It’s OK, boy,” she said, wrapping one arm around his neck. “I researched it. Sweet potatoes are good for dogs. Go on, this is for you!”

Gadget took a nibble of his treat. It was delicious! His tail wagging, he ate up every bit of the sweet potatoes. He didn’t feel left out anymore.

Activity

Make a prayer list, for the month, of all the “little things” you might not think to pray about. Pray about them every day and write down how God answers you. At the end of the month, look back and see how much God cares.

God does care about the little things—even for our pets. To listen to more stories with Gadget and the Simon family, visit discoverymountain.com. This story first appeared in KidsView, November 2019.

* Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.