When Mom and Dad were little and in Sunday School, one of the songs they used to sing is about Zacchaeus.

He was a tax collector who cheated people so most folks didn’t like him; he was also very short. So when he heard that Jesus was coming to his town he wanted to see him. He climbed up in the sycamore tree because he knew the other folks wouldn’t let him stand in front; he sat on a limb so he could see Jesus when he walked under the tree.

But he didn’t know that Jesus was planning to see Zacchaeus too! When Jesus came under the tree, he looked up at Zacchaeus and told him to come down because Jesus was going to eat lunch with him! How cool is that?

Zacchaeus was embarrassed because he knew he’d been unfair to a lot of people. But Jesus showed him so much love that he loved Jesus right back, and decided from then on to behave like he should. He gave the money back to everyone he’d cheated and decided from that day that he would do right.

Here are the words to the song, in case you don’t know them. And here’s a coloring sheet!

Zacchaeus was a wee little man
And a wee little man was he
He climbed up in a sycamore tree
For the Lord he wanted to see
And as the Savior passed that way
He looked up in that tree
And He said,
“Zacchaeus, you come down! For I’m going to your house today For I’m going to your house today!”

Before Scout came to live with us, she lived with Jennifer and Daniel and their dogs, Fat Boy, Petey, Deedee and Monkey and the other puppies.

Well, yesterday Jenn and Daniel came by to see us, and they brought Fat Boy and Monkey, who used to be Scout’s mom and dad before. (That really doesn’t make sense to me, but maybe you understand.)

They all came in the house at once- and Scout was so happy to see them! She was jumping and playing and kissing them. But I was not happy at all. I was afraid that Fat Boy was going to try to eat me- he is BIG. He kept trying to smell of me or lick me, but I said absolutely not. I hid behind Mom, or behind Daniel and wouldn’t even look at them.  But Scout just kept playing with them. She was even trying to clean Fat Boy’s teeth by licking in his mouth! That scared me too, because I thought he might bite her head off. Thank goodness he didn’t.

Daniel kept talking to me and letting me know it was going to be OK. I finally got down and sniffed Monkey and let her sniff me. Fat Boy kept trying to talk to me, and I finally let him smell of me one time.  Mom even gave everybody a peanut butter cookie, and Fat Boy let Monkey have his…

Mom says Fat Boy is a good boy – she says he used to come to our house and eat fried okra with her (that was back before me, I guess).   She says he’s going to have to come back and see us again- she says she doesn’t want me to be afraid of him, or any good dog.

I’ll try.

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“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3