Children, obey your parents in the Lord. Ephesians 5:1

Sophie and Elizabeth loved animals. They were so happy when Mom and Dad bought them a guinea pig.

First, they were going to name him Smoothy because of his smooth fur. But they changed their minds and called him Slurpy because he slurped when he drank his water.

'Remember, you have to look after Slurpy,' Mom reminded them. 'Clean the cage, do the feeding, make sure he has water.'

The girls agreed. They had lots of other plans too. Take Slurpy to Show and Tell at school; maybe get a small leash and take him for walks. Yes, they had lots of plans. But they weren't all good plans.

'That's a bad idea.' Dad shook his head. 'Don't clean Slurpy's teeth with a toothpick. It's pointed at both ends. If he swallows it, it will hurt him. Put the toothpick away!'

Do you think the girls did what Dad told them to do? No, they didn't! Do you know what happened next? That's right. Slurply chewed the toothpick and swallowed it. Dad had to take Slurpy to the Vet and have him X-rayed. Fortunately, the toothpick didn't damage Slurpy's stomach. But it cost Dad a lot of money. He told Sophie and Elizabeth, 'I'm sorry, girls. You will have to help me pay the Vet from your own spending money. Perhaps that will help you to listen to me next time.'

It's always good to obey your parents. It's what God wants us to do.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me to obey You by obeying my parents. Amen.