A Cheerful Servant

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY dawned on the Roughington Farm and all the young animals scampered about the barn playing tag. Ellen, a woolly lamb, giggled as she chased after Josh the squirrel who lived in the walnut tree by the red barn. All eight of the calico cat’s kittens joined in the fun along with Sam one of Ishee’s piglets who had squeezed under the pigpen fence.
“You can’t get me!” Josh cried as he climbed up a wooden beam far out of Ellen’s reach.
“That’s not fair, Josh, I can’t climb up there.” Ellen gazed up where Josh sat laughing.
Ellen turned her attention to a different animal and ran as fast as her stubby legs could carry her. She panted and baaed as she ran in circles trying to tag one of the kittens.
“Just stay still you, silly kittens.” She gasped.
Sam oinked and grunted in laughter as he watched Ellen go round and round. “Here Ellen I’ll give you a rest.”
Ellen walked over and tagged Sam and the fun began again. Sam charged after the other animals as fast as his little feet could go laughing as he ran. All the other animal children laughed and squealed along with him.
“Oh, Sam!” Sam stopped in his tracks when he heard his mother call him. “Come here, Sam, I’ve got a job for you.”
Sam huffed. “I’ve got to go guys.” The little piglet shuffled out the barn door and toward the pigpen.
“Why does Ma always have to ruin all my fun?” He complained aloud.
He rounded the bend and slipped under the fence. “What, Ma?” He asked.
Ishee wattled up to Sam, “I need you to take this basket of acorns to the squirrel family down the lane. Josh’s mother told me about some poor squirrels they ran into the other day. The mother is sick and they do not have any food.”
“But, Ma, I was in the middle of a game of tag, can’t you send one of the other piglets?” Sam complained.
“No, I want you to go, Sam, now take this basket and don’t dawdle.”
Sam took the basket in his teeth and plodded back out the pigpen. He slowly made his way down the lane grumbling under his breath as he took each step.
“What was that?”
Sam was surprised to find himself looking into the eyes of Old Jackson the horse. He set his basket of acorns down and plopped to the ground.
“What’s the long face for?” Jackson asked.
“I was playing tag with my friends when Ma told me to take this basket of acorns to a squirrel family. I wanted to finish my game, but Ma wouldn’t let me.”
The brown horse swallowed a mouthful of grass. “Oh,” Jackson studied the piglet. “I’m sure the other animals will still be playing when you are finished delivering the acorns.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to play right now. Ma always makes me do all the chores. None of the other piglets have to do the work I do.” Sam complained.
“Hmmm…” Jackson thought for a moment. “Well, I think I have just the thing for you, Sam.”
“What do you mean?” Sam asked.
“Oh, a story that might do you some good.” Stated the horse.
“Awe, not another story.” Sam groaned.
“Listen up, Sam, I think you might enjoy this story, and hopefully learn a lesson from it as well.”
Sam decided to listen and see what the old horse had to say.
“Once upon a time, in a very thick wood lived two bears. Although, these two bears were very much alike they were also very different from each other. One of the bears was called Cloudy and the other was called Black. One day, Cloudy was fishing in the Great Crystal River when a giant moose came up to him…

‘Cloudy, I have a message for you from your father,” The moose cleared his throat. “He wants you to make your way down north of this river. He wants you to help the poor animals who live down by the beaver’s dam because a terrible flood has come upon that part of the river.’
Cloudy eyed the trout he had been hunting as it swam past him. He could hear his stomach rumbling, but he knew he had to help those poor animals as his father had told him to do.
‘Let my father know that I will make great haste to help the poor creatures down by the beaver’s dam.’
Cloudy was about to charge down the riverbank when his friend Black emerged from the forest. ‘Where you going, Cloudy?’ The furry bear asked as he waddled up to Cloudy.
‘I’m going to go help the poor animals who live by the beaver’s dam. The river is flooding down in those parts. I sure could use your help, Black.’ Cloudy explained to his friend.
Black lay down on the riverbank. ‘Awe, Cloudy, I don’t like getting all wet and besides I wanted to go berry hunting with you today,’ the bear yawned. ‘Those animals down the river will be fine, someone else will help them. Let’s go search for berries.’
Cloudy licked his lips, but then shook his head. ‘No, Black, my father gave me a job to do and I will carry it out.’
‘Cloudy, your father is the king of this forest; you don’t need to do all the work. Let someone else help.’
Cloudy would not be deterred. ‘I must go, Black, those animals need help and it doesn’t matter if my father is king or not, I should be a servant and help those in need.’
Black rolled on his back. ‘Alright, suit yourself, but I am not going to waste my time.’
Cloudy ran down the path and left his friend behind. Suddenly his stomach began rumbling even more and he felt tired and hungry.
‘It sure would be nice to go berry hunting. Black is right, just because Father is king doesn’t mean I always have to be a servant. The other animals should be serving me.’ Cloudy slowed his pace as he grumbled to himself.
Cloudy plopped down and huffed.
‘What’s the matter, Cloudy?’ A small wood mouse asked as he peeked out from behind a tree branch.
‘My father wants me to help some animals down the river, but I’m hungry and tired of being the one who has to do all the work. Why can’t someone else be the servant for once?’
‘Oh, I see, you have forgotten that God wants all of us to be servants and not only does He want us to serve others, but He wants us to serve cheerfully with good attitudes,’ The little mouse inched closer to the bear. ‘Cloudy, don’t complain about the job your father gave you; carry it out and God will reward you for your servant’s heart.’
Cloudy nodded his head. ‘Alright, little Mouse; I’ll do what you have said. Thank you for reminding me.”
Cloudy charged forward and pushed his way through the thick brush. He came to a small clearing where the river widens and the beaver’s dam was located.
‘Alright, let’s see,’ Cloudy scanned the riverbank and stepped closer to the shore. ‘Oh, no!’ Cloudy caught sight of the beaver family clinging to their house as it broke to pieces underneath them.
The water washed over their heads as they screamed with fright. ‘Oh, help!’
Cloudy swiftly made his way through the churning water toward the beavers. ‘I’m coming, help is on the way.’ He called.
Cloudy reached the beavers and had them all climb on top of his back as he swam for shore. The current was strong, but Cloudy pressed on for the land.
All of a sudden, a scream cut through the air as Cloudy crawled onto the riverbank. ‘What was that?’
‘Oh, dear, my baby!’ Mrs. Beaver cried. ‘She’ll drown!’
Cloudy jumped back into the cold water and swam for the tiny beaver. The water swept her fiercely down the river as the bear dove into the water.
Cloudy caught up with the poor animal and scooped her into his arms. ‘There, there you’ll be alright.’ They were back on land in no time met by a very grateful family of beavers.
However, Cloudy’s job was not over yet. Other animals cried out for help. A family of ducks frantically tried to swim for shore and a poor rabbit had slipped down the riverbank and was grabbing a tree root for dear life when Cloudy came across him.
Cloudy was exhausted and starving when all the animals were finally safe and sound. He lay down on a bed of grass panting and soaked to the bone.
‘Oh, Cloudy, thank you so much for saving us,’ Mr. Beaver patted the bears wet fur. ‘We have a surprise for you. A thank you for all you’ve done.’
Mrs. Beaver and Cotton Rabbit set a platter of berries in front of Cloudy and Mrs. Duck brought the bear two large fish.
‘Thank you, Cloudy!’ They all exclaimed.
Cloudy did not know what to say. ‘It was my pleasure to help all of you. In fact, I almost didn’t come because I was selfish and started complaining, but a little mouse reminded me that Jesus wants us to be cheerful servants and to do everything without complaining.’ Cloudy smiled a contented smile.
‘Eat up, Cloudy.’ Mrs. Duck nudged the bear with her yellow bill.
Cloudy devoured the berries and fish and they soon disappeared into his belly, but the lesson he learned never left him.’

“Cloudy the bear learned a very important lesson that day, Sam,” Jackson the horse stated. “He learned that God wants us to cheerfully serving others without complaining.”
Sam sighed and stood to his feet. “Is that a true story, Mr. Jackson?”
“Sam, that story is happening all the time. The question is what you are going to do about it. Are you going to learn from Cloudy’s lesson or are you going to give into a bad attitude and complain about the job your mother gave you.”
Sam took the basket back into his mouth, “I’m going to go deliver these acorns right now like Ma wanted me to.”
Jackson smiled as he watched the little piglet scurry down the lane. He knew that Sam had learned a valuable lesson from Cloudy the bear.

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Philippians 2:14 says, “Do all things without complaining and disputing.” God wants His children to serve one another without complaining and disputing. He wants us to obey our parents without whining when they tell us to do something.
It is very easy for us to have a bad attitude and complain, but we should remember the lesson Cloudy and Sam learned about cheerfully serving others without complaining.
Take the lesson they learned to heart and act it out in your own life. The next time your mom wants you to clean your room, wash the dishes, or help you younger brother or sister with something obey with a cheerful attitude without complaining. Or when your dad has some extra work around the yard for you to do, do not complain about it just carry out the task with a cheerful heart