“Daddy, come see what we found!” exclaimed both children as they burst into the living room. Daddy was sitting in his big chair reading. He looked up with a questioning look on his face.
“What have you found?” he asked.
“Come outside and see. It’s in the backyard,” answered Leslie.
Leslie and Roger almost dragged Daddy out to the backyard. There on the patio was the strangest-looking little puppy, but it was very cute. It was wiggling all over and running around Mother as she watched, with her hands on her hips.
“We found him on the road,” declared Leslie. “Isn’t he cute? We’ve already named him Tinker.”
“Wait a minute,” said
Daddy. “Who said we were going to keep him?”
“Oh, please,” pleaded Leslie. “He’s just a poor, little, stray puppy, and he doesn’t have a mommy. Can’t we keep him?”
“I already have you two ‘little puppies,’" said Daddy, looking at his two children, “and I don’t think we want to feed any more.”
“Oh, please, Daddy! He won’t eat much!” begged Leslie.
“Maybe somebody already owns him,” said Daddy, who really didn’t think they needed a puppy.
“Oh, no, we’ve checked around and talked to the neighbors, and nobody knows anything about him. Mrs. Murry thinks somebody driving by must have dropped him off beside the road,” answered Leslie, now holding both of Daddy’s hands.
Daddy looked down at Leslie’s pleading eyes, then over at Roger who had been playing with Tinker the whole time. Then he caught Mother’s eye. She had been watching Roger and Tinker playing together. She had a half-smile on her face.
Looking at Daddy, she smiled saying, “You decide, dear, but it’s fine with me.”
Three pair of eyes looked at Daddy. “Okay, we’ll see how it goes for a week,” he said finally.
“Yippee!” cried Leslie, hugging her daddy. “You’re the nicest daddy in the whole world!”
Just then Tinker ran into the patio table—CRASH! A pitcher of milk, which the children had brought out, had been sitting on the table. The half-full pitcher tipped over, and milk poured out across the table and down onto the patio. In just a second or two Tinker was standing in the milk, licking it up as fast as his little pink tongue could lick.
“Oh, my,” said Leslie, looking up at Daddy with a worried look on her face. “Just a little accident... I’m sure it won’t happen again.”
Daddy turned and walked back into the house wondering what he had gotten himself into.
Even though there were other little accidents that week, everyone seemed to forget about the one-week trial period. Tinker was becoming another loved member of the family —to everyone, that is, except Daddy. He still was not sure about having a dog in the family.
Many weeks later Tinker suddenly started barking excitedly in the middle of the night. He slept in the basement.
“Quiet, Tinker!” yelled Daddy as he rolled over in bed. But Tinker kept on barking.
Climbing out of bed, Daddy went into the kitchen and opened the door to the basement. “Tinker, stop...” and then Daddy smelled the smoke. Turning on the light, he could see wisps of smoke coming up from the basement. Tinker scampered upstairs.
“FIRE!” Daddy called, running back to the bedrooms. “Everyone get up! Grab your bathrobes and slippers and go out the front door, and hurry!”
As the family scurried around, Daddy quickly called the fire department, and then the whole family, including Tinker, went outside.
In about five minutes the first fire truck arrived. The firemen found a small fire in the furnace motor and quickly put it out. Thanks to Tinker’s barking alarm, there was little damage.
The next morning Daddy thought Tinker should have a reward. He was given the biggest breakfast he had ever had. Daddy said he was sure that Tinker’s alarm had saved them from having a more serious fire. He even thought they could have lost their home and possibly their lives, if it hadn’t been for Tinker. Leslie and Roger loved Tinker all the more.
Yes, Tinker was a hero, because he barked a warning. His barking told Daddy that something was wrong. The gospel story is both a warning and good news to anyone who will listen. In the Bible God warns us that there is danger ahead because we are sinners, and that we cannot go to heaven with our sins. God loves sinners, but He hates their sins, so He has provided an escape. He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to suffer the punishment for the sins of anyone who will believe Him. Since the Lord Jesus paid the punishment, God sees the believer as being clean and can then bring him to heaven.
Do you think Leslie and Roger just rolled over and went back to sleep when their Daddy yelled “FIRE"? No, I’m sure they didn’t. They jumped out of bed, grabbed their robes and slippers, and hurried outside. They did exactly what he told them to do.
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3), “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation.” The salvation offered to you is from God Himself. We know that the door of escape is wide open now. It is open for anyone who will accept the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Listen to God’s warning and run to that open door. It may close soon, and then there will be no escape! “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2).
ML-06/12/1983