Revenge of The Cookie Monster

There’s no sound in all the world quite as distinctive as a 6 year-old throwing up in the middle of the night.  (Parents, you know what I mean?)  But that’s what we heard and that’s what happened.  My wife and I rushed into our son’s bedroom to find a wretched mess.  Trying to figure out the cause of the disaster, my wife, a forensic nutritionist, observed some clues that prompted her to turn to my son and inquire, “Noah, how many cookies did you eat at the church fellowship tonight?”  The answer… after a word from our Sponsor:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Did you see that coming?  What do cookies and the Cross have to do with each other?  Little Noah looked up with near-innocence and squeaked out, “I was only going to eat three, but I ate ten on accident.”  Do you know how rare it is for two adults to be busting a gut laughing while wiping up vomit off a hardwood floor?

The definition of “accident” is clearly open to deliberation.  While considerately taking cookies to his friends, did Noah, trip, fall, and accidentally ingest two cookies short of a dozen?  I know church is a place where you’re supposed to believe in miracles, but even that is a reach.  You know what I think happened?  I think little Nonie put ten cookies, one right after another, right down his gullet.  Did he anticipate the consequences?  No.  Had we cautioned him against gluttony?  Yes.  But even though we had published our own family 10 Commandments (one for each cookie?), Noah still did what he did.  And my wife and I still had to clean up after him.

A lot of people walk around squawking stupid things like “don’t let anyone ‘should’ on you”, “it’s my life, it’s now or never”, “I’ve gotta be me, gotta live free”, but there are still consequences to behavior.  The ultimate consequence is that God sent His Son to “clean up” after us, to restore our fellowship with God.

Followers of Jesus don’t consider the commands and cautions of scripture to be an impediment to our freedom and fun.  Followers of Jesus consider the guidance of scripture to be wisdom worth heeding.  Followers of Jesus thank God everyday for cleaning up after us, you know, when we have an “accident”.

Clark H Smith

ps – Do you have an example of how God’s instructions for living has guided your through difficulty?  Visit my Facebook page and share your story.

(The image accompanying this post is one of the most popular shirt.woot designs entitled “The Binge”.  I highly recommend you get one for the cookie monster in your house.)