Broken Cookies

I have an unhealthy attraction to cookies. When I am working out at the gym, I think about cookies. While helping the kids with homework, I think about cookies.  I pray about cookies and thank God for their existence. When other desserts vie for my attention, I cannot help but think about cookies.

Not just any cookies will satisfy my lust. I prefer large peanut butter cookies nestled with peanut butter cups and peanuts. My other favorite is chocolate chip with walnuts, the big kind, that costs as much as a small, imported, puppy. My favorite comes from a restaurant near my house named Pacific Whey. After 6:00 p.m. all cookies are half price, but I run the risk of there being no chocolate chip with walnuts cookies left. I could settle for the chocolate chip espresso cookie or chocolate brownie but only when required, and even then, I would have to return the following day and pay full price for my true love.

My last cookie purchase took me to new levels of excitement. Since I’m a huge fan of getting things for free, I was delighted when I dipped my hand into the bag of cookies I purchased and discovered three cookies instead of the two I purchased. When I mentioned the mistake to the cashier she said, “Oh, the last cookie was broken so I gave it to you since we throw those away. People don’t buy the broken ones.”

Although I am not as attracted to broken cookies, as I am to perfectly rounded, robust, fully formed, cookies, I was thankful to cashier Veronica.

While sipping hot coffee and savoring my stack of cookies, I began to ponder the metaphor surrounding unwanted, broken cookies. While humanity isn’t naturally attracted human “broken cookies” Jesus embraced them. The lepers who were subjected to a section of town, disgraced for their uncleanliness were loved and fully accepted by Jesus. He stopped what He was doing to heal a lame man dropped from a rooftop, laid before His feet. A prostitute He met at a well received a life changing message from Jesus when He willingly approached her.  A blind man at the edge of a pool littered with mangled and dysfunctional bodies waiting for a human touch were a magnet for Jesus. Jesus not only loved “broken cookies” He looked for them, and still does.

Not one of us is perfect. We are all broken cookies shaped by our upbringing, the decisions we make, unwarranted opinions of others, and our past, but we are in no way identified by them, for we are loved fully and unconditionally by our Jesus. He purchased us, broken and unwanted, with His sacrifice at the Cross. Jesus is attracted to “broken cookies.”

 Every now again I fantasize about ice cream and was once caught cheating with chocolate chip ice cream, a distant cousin to the cookie. Forgiveness was given but trust is still an issue we are working out together, cookie and me. I haven’t let cookie know, but a sassy little croissant, flakey on the outside and stuffed with vanilla cream and sliced strawberries has been texting me. The temptation is real.









Comments

Unknown said…
What a metaphor... Broken cookies but it is so true. Jesus loves us more than cookies. I'm so glad aren't you? Keep writing, I love the reading.
Love this post! It made me cry. I needed this. Thank you, Linda! --joanna