The Good Deeds Gang

1 THE BEGINNING

Susie Squirrel sat at the breakfast table while her father read the paper.
“Would you look at this headline,” said Papa Squirrel. “‘The Good Deeds Gang strikes again.’ It says here that the gang planted a flower bed near Widow Opossum’s window where she can see them from her bed.”
“I wonder who the gang is,” said Mama Squirrel, as she filled Papa’s plate with more walnut oatmeal.
Susie just sat quietly, trying hard to keep from telling the secret. Being in the gang was a wonderful secret.
It all started a month ago. In Sunday school class, the children talked about doing good deeds in secret. Ms. Rianna, Rusty Raccoon’s mom, told the children about how Jesus explained why giving in secret was better. He said not to let your left hand know what the right hand was doing.
Ms. Rianna explained when the Pharisees gave to the needy they made sure that everyone knew what they were doing. They made a show of it. This is not pleasing to God.
“Most people today do something good for others only when they know they will get something out of it, like an article in the newspaper telling about the good deed,” she explained. “But doing something in secret shows God that you have your heart in the right place and that you are doing the deed to please him and not anyone else.”
“Jesus taught that a person should give just for the pleasure it brings to the receiver,” she said, “and in doing so shows God’s love to those who are receiving the kind deed.”

Felix Fox was the first to come up with the idea. He and his friends gathered that afternoon at their secret hideout, the hollow tree. As they were lying on their backs looking up at the big white fluffy clouds, Felix brought up the idea.
“I was thinking today at lunch about what Ms. Rianna said in class today,” said Felix. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could do secret deeds for people?”
Susie chipped in, “That would be awesome! But could we pull it off?”
“How would we know who to help, and how could we do it secretly?” asked Bobby Bear.
“That’s easy,” said Renee Rabbit. “We just get information from our parents and their jobs.” She explained. “My dad is the sheriff. I can get information about damaged property and other crimes. Bobby’s father owns the drug store, and he can report on everyone who is sick, or hurt.”
“Yeah,” said Rusty. “Since my dad is the pastor of the church, I can get information about who needs other kinds of help.”
“With my dad being the Mayor,” stated Susie, “I usually know what the town is up to.”
With Felix’s mother running the local newspaper, Felix could get other types of information. He also knew who the reporters were and could keep the gang away from them and keep from being discovered.
Skylie Skunk came up with the idea of using the memory verse inside a card. Now all they needed was a name.
“Why don’t we call ourselves the Helping Hands Society?” asked Renee.
Susie giggled, “That sounds like an old ladies church group.”
“Do you have a better suggestion?” asked Renee.
“Good Deed Doers?” suggested Bobby, “Noble Knights of the Round Table?”
“Secret Deeds Club?” suggested Rusty.
“Helpers of Jesus,” chipped in Skylie.
“The Organization for the Betterment of Society!” said Felix, to which the whole group of children burst into laughter.
“You’ve been hanging around the newspaper too long, Felix,” giggled Renee. “That sounds like a charity. I do like Good Deeds, since that is what we will be doing.”
After trying out several more names using “good deeds”, they finally settled on the name “The Good Deeds Gang”, since they would be doing random acts of kindness for Jesus. The only reward they wanted was to see the happiness their deeds brought.