Surprise! Button AND Snoopy

I was heartbroken: I had no gift for my little Karen’s fifth birthday.

 

There in our new home in a missions community named Lomalinda, we had no way to buy her anything—except for something from our little commissary, like powdered milk or canned tuna or a loaf of very stale bread. And that just wouldn’t do.

 

But then—but then!—we heard someone’s dog would soon have puppies, so we spoke for one for Karen.

 

But then—but then!—a week or so before her birthday, we got word the puppy we’d chosen might not be available after all.

 

My heart broke for my girl. We had to give her a birthday gift!

 

But then—but then!—one of Lomalinda’s families called and asked if we would like a kitten.

 

“Yes!” I said. “Yes!!!”

 

But then—but then!—a couple of days later, we learned we could have the puppy after all.

 

Dave and I talked it over. Should we give Karen the kitten or the puppy?

 

In the end, we decided to give the kitten to Karen and the puppy to her brother Matt.

Karen second from left, back row

We had kept Karen’s kitten a secret, but after her party—sixteen friends, sweet and fun—Dave and I said to her, “We have a surprise for you.”

 

Our new five-year-old looked up at us, curious, eyes twinkling. “We’re giving you a kitten for your birthday.”

 

“A kitten!” she whispered, wonder all over her face.

 

“The kittens aren’t old enough to leave their mommy yet, but we can go to the house where they live and you can choose one.”

 

Karen jumped up and down, laughing. “Let’s go! Right now!” So we set out walking to look over the litter.

 

Karen chose a tiny gray and white striped one with white tummy and paws. “I’ll name him Button.”

 

Strolling away from Button’s home, we sprung another surprise, this time on Matt. “We’re getting a puppy for you—an early birthday gift.”

 

Our rowdy boy hollered, “Awesome!”

 

“Let’s go pick him out,” I said.

 

“What?” Wide-eyed, Matt stopped walking and talking—a rare thing for our son. “Now?”

 

“The puppies are too young to leave their mother, but you get to choose one today.”

 

“Awesome!”

 

We hiked to the puppies’ house, and Matt chose a cute reddish-blonde Welsh Corgi mix that resembled most dogs around our center. “I’ll name him Snoopy.”

 

Wow! What a surprise: Button and Snoopy!

 

I think of the way God showers us with blessings—grace upon grace (John 1:16), “spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped on gift” (Amplified Bible).

 

On the walk home,

Dave and I looked at each other and laughed,

knowing we had two weeks to brace ourselves

for the lively chaos those baby pets

would bring to our home.

(From Chapter 12, Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go:

A Foot-Dragger’s Memoir)