The Cookie Parable

As I stood contemplating the array of bagels behind the glass at Schnucks, a woman and her two year old girl wheeled up to stare at the donut and cookie display. Immediately the little girl pointed to the glass happily and said, "Cookie!"

The woman asked sweetly, "Would you like one?"
Of course the little girl nodded vigorously. The mom smiled and proceeded to point out and name each one until the girl agreed to the kind she wanted.

During this whole exchange, I pretended to be engrossed in the bagel arrangement, but had one curious eye fixed on this happy pair. The girl was relaxed and not whining or demanding and the woman was calm and willing. Then mom pulled the cookie out of the display.

Almost simultaneously, as the girl reached out expectantly for the cookie, the mom slid the treat into a store bag. Seeing her daughter's perplexed expression, the mom explained nicely, "Don't worry, dear, you can have this cookie, but I have to pay for it first."

The girl was too young to understand. She understood enough to know that those were cookies, she wanted one, her mom said yes and let her pick one out. She understood enough to see that her mom pulled the cookie out of the display, but she most assuredly did not understand the concept of paying, let alone waiting!

Oh, how she cried! I almost laughed because she did not give a whiny, tantrum cry, but an almost heartbroken, deeply grieved cry. Thankfully I refrained from laughing out loud because it would have given away the fact that I was not agonizing over my bagel choice and the mom might have thought I was laughing at the girl's misery.

The reason I found the situation humorous was because as soon as the little girl sobbed her deeply hurt cry over not receiving the cookie she was promised, my first thought was, "I know exactly how you feel, little one!"

It was sweet how the mom placed the bag in the cart behind her daughter, still not willing to give her the cookie just yet, but not chastising her for crying. The mom said gently, "I know, sweet girl. You're going to get the cookie, but I just have to pick up a few more things. Then we can pay and you can eat it." Her daughter was too young to comprehend the implications of her reassurances, so they wheeled away with the daughter still grieving in the front seat of the cart. The loving pat she was given and her mom's calm reaction hopefully conveyed that her mom was commiserating with her tears.

I was still chuckling to myself over the endearing scene when God impressed on me: "Laelia, that is how I am with you."

An outside observer seeing me stand in front of the bagels for such a long time must have thought I was mesmerized by their shiny goodness, when I was in fact having a moment of theological epiphany. Imagine light coming forth from above the bagel display and angels singing "Aaaahh!" throughout the grocery store.

Or not.

In reality, I stood still staring blankly at the round baked circles, mulling over the scene I had witnessed, my empathetic understanding of the girl's grief, and God's subsequent commentary. How often are we like the little girl, excited and asking God for a desire of our heart? I could identify with her delight and hopefulness at seeing her mom's willingness. I could feel her excitement grow as her mom cared which particular kind of cookie she wanted. When she saw her mom reaching for the cookie and drawing it out, I'm sure her mouth was watering. She reached for the cookie.

And then her mom packages it, saying some vaguely intelligible words.

Oh, the misery! The agony of "yes...but not quite yet!" That grief I also understand all too well.

All over scripture the Lord encourages us to ask him, to depend on him for what we need and more. He says he wants to "give us the desires of our hearts" to offer us "abundant life," to answer "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine!" He answers our prayers with YES and NO, but he more often than not answers with a "yes, but not yet."

We are like the child, completely unable to understand the reasons why or to even hear them over our weeping. It is comforting to know that God is even kinder than this woman was to her daughter. He sees that we can't possibly comprehend the timing and steps necessary to fulfill his YES. Instead of berating us, telling us to quit crying or get over it, he comforts and encourages us during the wait.

Often it is nearly impossible to see past our grief and minuscule understanding of our circumstances to wait patiently and trust God. It has helped me to remember this little child and her mother who said "Yes, here. I am giving you this cookie, but you have to wait for a moment." I think of that and I imagine during the times I am grieving over some "cookie" in my life that God is standing there with cookie in hand, promising that I will have it, that he's not only willing, but is in the process of making it mine, but I just have to wait a few minutes more.

I think of the verse, Psalm 5:3- "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." I fail pretty miserably most days, but at times I remember verses like this one and choose to sit quietly and wait patiently for God to act. Not just HOPING that he will, but KNOWING, expecting Him to act because he has promised! He's already said yes, the cookie is in the bag, and in a few more minutes, He'll happily place it in my outstretched hand. In fact, he might just offer me the entire display of cookies!