If you haven’t heard this before, I teach a Sunday School class of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. When I first started with this class, we started late every week because they were out searching for food. So, knowing the age group and wanting them there on time, I began bringing donuts to class every week. It is now a few years down the road (4?) and my husband now often makes something for me to take in. I will have to confess it is seldom healthy, but it’s once a week and it works (did I mention I have mostly boys?). One of their favorite things is when Brian sends anything edible chocolate chip cookies. He sends a big container and all of them are prepared to die as they know not one will return home.
Missing chocolate chip cookie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
What happens when Brian cookies come to church?
First, former students now in another class often drop in and grab a bite before heading to class (especially for cookies). Then my students polish off most of the rest. I try to rescue a few for others because after class, I often have three little girls (future students for me?) show up in my room. They stand there quietly and look at me with big eyes, waiting for me to give the command that allows them to get a cookie (or two) after ascertaining they have permission from the parents. Last week, I had two people stop me on the way to the sanctuary to ‘taste’ the cookies and make sure they were good enough (lol). Once they cookies make it to the sanctuary, I have a following of those who hope there are a few crumbs left for them. A cookie has even given it’s life in service to a person who was having a low blood sugar episode.
Did I mention these cookies are GOOD? Brian has perfected them, and they (and he) have a major fan base.
The point of this narrative?
The point of telling this story is not to brag on Brian’s cookies or to tell stories about the cookie monsters lovers among us. If you’ve been with me a while, you probably feel an analogy coming on….
Chocolate Chip Cookies 009 (Photo credit: MGF/Lady Disdain)
The analogy arrives:
Brian cookies ATTRACT. They smell good; they taste good; they look good; they go great with milk. In fact, the crowd they are accumulating of volunteer taste testers is getting quite large and grows every time they show up.
Christians should ATTRACT. If we have Christ in us and seek to live a life guided by the Holy Spirit, we will be a different, peculiar, unique people. We will have something others want. They will seek us out and drink deeply of it, even if they don’t understand what it is. They will want what we have: a real relationship with the Creator that makes a difference in our lives and our interactions with others.
For example, I was having a conversation with someone who was very angry at another person. I understood the anger, but I told them that I love her deeply in spite of it. The person said, “Well, I sure don’t know how you do it!” What a great opportunity to explain that the love I have, even for the unlovely, is not about me. It is Christ’s love in me. {Disclaimer: I am an imperfect sinner just like everyone else, but sometimes God uses me anyway.}
If you maintain that relationship, continue to grow, and make yourself available, these times will come. Others will see how you respond so differently from what is expected. They will want to know how you do it. You will have an opportunity to share.
Conversation in my SS class (when the cookies show up) often contains comments like this: “these are soooooo good!”; “how does he do that?”; “when is he going to make them again?”; and so on. The students recognize that these cookies are special. Why? Because they know the baker, and they have tasted the goodness before. Others will recognize God’s goodness in you and wonder how, why, what, and more as your light shines in the darkness, beckoning others to come and see.
What kind of cookie are you? Is anyone else getting hungry?????????????????????????????
Strobist info: snooted 430EX @1/2 power directed at top of glass triggered by a 580EXII (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
{Disclaimer: This blog post is not responsible for diet mishaps–wanna cookie?}
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- What Kind of Sunday School Worker Are You? (lonniemattingly.com)
doyoumeanwhatiknow 
Jun 06, 2012 @ 14:26:33
It’s funny Angela, we are doing a study called, AWARE in which we are learning to be aware of others and to be aware of ourselves. Your post fits right in with what we are learning.
I think it is crucial for us Christians to be aware of how we look and sound. Great post!
Jun 06, 2012 @ 23:18:28
Sounds like a good study. I find most people are unaware of anything around them if it doesn’t directly affect them. For Christians, this is NOT good! We are surrounded by witnesses all the time and our actions, attitudes, words, lives, do make a difference one way or another. I look forward to hearing more about your study 🙂
Jun 06, 2012 @ 21:54:38
You are a much nicer teacher than I am. I tell them if they want food they should bring it because I don’t have time with 4 kids to get food for them. — Good analogy though.
Jun 06, 2012 @ 23:15:43
I am probably too nice! I consider it part of my ministry though. I often have 4 grandkids to get to church, but as long as Brian’s doing the cooking, I’m good. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Jun 06, 2012 @ 23:16:26
BTW – I could not have even afforded to do that when I was raising my own kids!
Jun 07, 2012 @ 04:51:49
This is such a lovely post and a great insight into how you engage with people. I work with kids too and find “if you feed them they will come”. I’m ok with that and people often respond to that kind of nurturing – it makes everyone feel good, and we all need that! We have a saying here in Scotland (well in Glasgow actually) – “it’s nice to be nice” and it is because when people feel that from you it invites them to pass it on. I love the simplicity of that and it can sometimes be quite profound, particularly if you’re working with kids who aren’t used to folk being nice to them.
Jun 07, 2012 @ 18:17:10
Thank you very much. Yes, most people respond to food, it’s in our nature I guess. Anything to add to my arsenal to “get” them. Some are more difficult than others though. I had to learn a long time ago that you’re not going to be liked by all of them, nor are they all going to respond favorably. I keep trying to make it as close to 100% as I can though 🙂 I certainly hope it causes a domino effect of passing it on. I like the ‘if you feed them’ phrase. I’m glad you are able to show kindness to kids too 🙂 Angie
Jun 16, 2012 @ 06:36:14
Hi Angie, I love Choc chip bickies and they must love me because they stay close to me… like on my hips even after I have enjoyed them 😀 good on Brian … what time did you say your Sunday School started ?
So True what you said Angie, we do not find it hard to Love anyone when we have the Holy Spirit because He doesn’t, in Truth we also like them because this is Philos which is part of God’s Love and even if we hate what they do we will still consider them people of worth and even better then us not beneath us, in other words we do not consider ourselves greater then anyone else and so look down on them… like we even wash their feet!
As for being accepted because we share God’s Truth and walk as He walked which was without sin, the same as we do when we are Born again of God’s seed ( see below) sadly this is not what Jesus said as you can also see below, we will be rejected by most and even hated and some of us will be killed and this is because people only want to accept what suites their agenda, the Bible says they have itching ears and we will indeed be a bad odour to them because we reflect Jesus Christ, in other words we will not be popular with the majority but some will see our light and respond to Jesus’ reflection in us with the others we shake the dust off our sandles.
1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
Luke 6:21-2321 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Luke 21:16-18 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
John 15:17-19 These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Christian Love Anne
Jun 16, 2012 @ 15:12:45
I know what you mean about ‘cookie love’ lol. I don’t think I said we would be accepted. I had to go look at that. What I was trying to say is that God will provide opportunities and some people will accept Him because of what they see in us. Most will definately not accept us, as any real Christian knows from personal experience. In fact, they seem to hate us vehemently in some cases. But sometimes, one of them will come over to the light if we behave in a Christ-like manner toward them regardless of their own actions. Sorry if I didn’t make that clear.
I don’t know if you know your Scripture that well or can google, but I am impressed that you are able to share Scripture like you do. My memory is full of holes, but I often find google to be a friend when I need to find a passage in a hurry. I guess that means I do remember it – I just don’t remember where it is lol. Have a great weekend 🙂 Angie