Clover and the Cone

When Alyce got home from school and saw her dog wearing a plastic cone around her head, she rushed over and plopped down next to her on the floor. As Clover stared up at her with sad brown eyes, Alyce felt like her heart might burst. "Mom!" she called, her voice catching. "What happened to Clover?" Mom came in from the other room. "I'm sorry, Alyce, I was going to text you and forgot. Clover is fine, but she stepped on a splintered piece of wood in the yard today and injured her paw. The vet bandaged it up, but she has to wear a cone so she won't lick it and cause the wound to become infected.""But what about walking in the St. Patrick's Day parade tomorrow?" asked Alyce. Mom shook her head. "I'm afraid she can't put much weight on that foot."Alyce's eyes filled with tears. "But she loves walking in the parade! And we even bought a bandana with green clovers on it for her to wear." Alyce buried her face in her dog's soft fur. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Clover."Mom knelt down and rubbed Alyce's back. "Clover will be okay, Alyce, but I'm sure it helps her to know you love her and want to comfort her."Alyce sniffed. "I know she hates wearing this cone, and her paw probably hurts too. Seeing her sad and in pain makes me feel that way too."Mom nodded. "It reminds me of something I read in my Bible this morning about Jesus's compassion for us. Sometimes when we're going through hard things, it can seem like God is distant and uncaring, but nothing is farther from the truth. Jesus promises to always be with those who trust in Him, and He is with us when we're hurting. He knows how we feel because He experienced pain, sadness, and hardship too when He came to earth to die for our sins, and He comforts us in our troubles."Alyce smiled down at her dog. "Just like I want to comfort Clover." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Hey, Mom, instead of having Clover walk in the parade, could we pull her in the green wagon? I think that would cheer her up."Mom grinned. "That's a great idea!" –Courtney Lasater