The Backyard Bear

When Brody got home from school on his birthday, Dad winked and said, "Head out to the back porch. There's a special treat waiting for you on the picnic table."Brody ran outside as quickly as he could. The picnic table held two paper plates and a large empty platter smeared with icing. Brody frowned. "Hey, Dad?"Dad came out to the porch. "Yeah?""Is this platter supposed to be empty?"Dad's forehead wrinkled, and he scratched his chin. "What in the world…"Brody looked under the picnic table. A few crumbs sprinkled the ground. He swallowed. "It was my birthday cake, wasn't it?""It was. But where did it go?"Brody didn't want to throw a fit on his birthday. He was a year older. He was supposed to be more mature. But his eyes burned. He wiped his hand under his eyes, determined not to let tears fall. "We have to solve this mystery."The crumbs beneath the table led down the porch and into the yard, leaving a faint trail. Brody and his dad followed them to the edge of the backyard where the woods began. Not too far away, in the middle of the trees, movement caught Brody's eye. "Dad, look!" he whispered. They watched as a black bear devoured the last piece of Brody's cake. Then it scrambled into the woods.Brody's disappointment faded. His laughter started small at first, but then increased until tears streamed down his cheeks. "A bear ate my birthday cake!"Dad laughed too. "Don't worry, Brody," he said. "The day's not over. We'll still get you a birthday treat.""It's okay, Dad," Brody said. "I've always wanted to see a bear--and today one came into our backyard! God gave me the best birthday gift ever."Dad chuckled. "It's probably not the birthday gift you were expecting, but God loves to give His children gifts. He gave us the best gift of all--His Son, Jesus. And He gives us other gifts and blessings to remind us of His love."Brody smiled, thinking of how God cared about him enough to give him this wonderful surprise. And Brody knew no birthday cake would ever amount to the love God gave him each and every day. -Becca Wierwille