(by Lorie Codispoti)
Note: The following story/poem packs a humble punch. It's a great example for the point I hope to make below.
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The Cookie Thief (by Valerie Cox)
A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be. . .
grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.
So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.”
With each cookie she took, he took one too, when only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.
He offered her half, as he ate the other, she snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother.
This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude, why he didn’t even show any gratitude!
She had never known when she had been so galled, and sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.
She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat, then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.
If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.
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Humble Cookies
Things are not always as they seem, are they? How often have you been absolutely convinced of something, only to find out you were mistaken?
You may never see “humble pie” (or cookies, in this case) on the menu at your favorite restaurant, but God makes sure that each of His children are aware of the option. It may not be the tastiest choice, but it is a vital virtue for those who desire to walk in spiritual health and wellness.
We live in a world that links greatness to things like prosperity and popularity. Nothing new. History records plenty of examples for us not to follow. And, If we’re honest with ourselves, we will see that each one of us embodies the propensity to chase after this illusively destructive attribute.
The Bible warns us of the dangers of thinking too highly of ourselves. Three of the four Gospels record the story of Jesus’ disciples arguing about which of them would be the greatest in His kingdom (Mtt.18, Mk.9, Lk.9). Each records Jesus using a child as an example of greatness. He said, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever HUMBLES (emphasis mine) himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” In that day, children ranked among the nobodies, so for Jesus to use this radical example was both countercultural and unnatural. It still is.
We’re not told how the disciples responded, but if embracing humility gives us a lower, more accurite view of ourselves, then I think it’s safe to assume that they got the message and adjusted their perspective accordingly.
“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Mtt.23:12)
Humility is not only a menu item to choose as we feed on the truth of God’s word and grow in our spiritual maturity, but it is also a consequence for those who refuse the option and chose to chase after the greatness defined by culture.
I'm thinking of the example of King Nebuchadnezzar, who exhalted himself and conquered Judah and Jerusalem, sending the Jews into Babylonian exile. According to Daniel 4, he refused to repent and acknowledge the one true God. As a result he was humbled to the point of going mad, losing his royal status, and found wandering among wild animals and eating grass.
Hmm, grass or cookies? I’m thinking cookies.
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