Hi kids! I love to garden in the summertime. This year, I was so excited to plant purple and yellow pansies in my garden. They were colourful and pretty, and they made me very happy … until I went outside to find they had been eaten by squirrels! I didn’t know that squirrels liked pansies. The following week, I tried planting different flowers. They ate those, too! They dug up the roots and chewed on the leaves. The squirrels were taking over my backyard and I felt defeated. But when I thought about it, I realized that is just what squirrels do. They eat nuts, leaves, grass, roots and berries that they find in nature because they don’t have refrigerators and grocery stores like us. God put all those things on earth so that animals such as squirrels could eat and live. God created the soil, water and sunshine that makes plants grow. He created animals to eat plants (even beautiful purple pansies) and He created humans to take care of it all. You can read more about God’s creations in this issue of Just for Kids. So, this summer, I’m trying to make friends with the squirrels and take good care of them.
Your friend, Abby
Draw an animal you might find in the garden.
Creation
Genesis 1 and 2
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hen God created the world, it didn’t have any shape, and it was dark. Then God spoke. He said, “Let there be light.” And daylight appeared. God gave the land its form. He made the sun, the moon and the stars.
When everything on the earth was ready, God made the animals. He made some to live on the land, others to swim in the water and more to fly in the air. Then God made a human being and breathed life into him. God named the human Adam, and gave him a beautiful garden to live in. God gave Adam a job to do. He told Adam to take care of his garden home and all of the animals that lived in it. Adam gave the animals names, just as God had named him. But Adam was a little lonely, so God made another human, a woman named Eve. Adam and Eve lived in the garden. They took care of it and spent time talking with God. Adapted from Boring Bible, Ballistic Beginnings by Andy Robb. Used with permission.