Jackie’s Family

When I had my eighth birthday, my parents gave me a present. It was a small dog named Jackie. Jackie looked really strange. She had short legs, long ears that usually stuck straight up, and a really short tail. Her tail was so short that she couldn’t wag it. Instead, she wagged her whole body.

My younger brother was jealous because I had a dog and he didn’t. But one day, a big van stopped behind the trees in front of our house. We saw the driver throw a bag out of the van and speed away. Our mom went outside to see what was in the bag, and my brother and I followed her. She opened the bag, and inside was an orange cat.

My brother was excited. He quickly claimed the cat as his own and named her Pumpkin Pie. Now, we both had pets. I had a dog named Jackie, and my brother had a cat named Pumpkin Pie.

One day, Pumpkin Pie had four kittens. Now, my brother was even happier. But, his happiness didn’t last long. Pumpkin Pie got sick soon after the kittens were born. Before long, she died.

Her kittens were too young to be without a mother, so we wondered what to do. But Jackie didn’t wonder. Instead, Jackie picked up the kittens and carried them to a safe place. Then, she laid down next to the kittens and acted like she was their mom.

It was quite an unusual sight: a dog being a mother to four kittens. What an unusual family! But Jackie didn’t care. She kept taking care of those kittens until they were old enough to be on their own.

Just like Jackie had an unusual family, so God also has an unusual family. You see, God is big and strong. He’s holy and completely good. God knows everything. He’s very different from us. We make mistakes. We do wrong things. In fact, unless we have help, we can’t ever make it to heaven. We’re very different from God, just as Jackie and the kittens were very different.

But notice what the Bible says in 1 John 3:1: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God” (ESV). Just as Jackie adopted the kittens into her family, so God wants to adopt us into His family. God wants to change us into the right kind of people. He loves us and wants to take us to heaven. Each one of us can be a part of God’s family.

Do you want to be a part of God’s family, like the kittens became a part of Jackie’s family? All you have to do is talk to God and ask Him to adopt you. And He will.