The Classic Cookie Jar
I was at work, putting up merchandise when a couple approached me, acquiring about the location of invitation card. I directed them in the direction where they simply said thanks and walked away. Their daughter, who had to be at least one and a half, mumbled something to me. I asked her to repeat, which she did, but this time she pointed. Her mom came back to grab her hand, smiling, claiming that she was basically repeating what she heard from her. The little girl then jogged away, turning her head over her shoulder, giggling and smiling. What amazed me was that she wasn't afraid to approach me, despite me being a tall, black male whom she didn't know. It always amazes me how innocence serves as a psychological veil that blinds us all from the world's standards.
It was about 11:15 PM that night and I was driving home from work when the song "The Dreamer" by Common was ending through my speakers on a mixed CD. I immediately thought of how much I wanted to write and work and not do one more than the other. I wanted to create a balance. The typical concept of the "dream job" begin to echo in my mind, reminding me of doing what I've always wanted to do since high school--get paid to write. Most would think of it as a unreachable desire, especially after learning that I just graduated from undergrad with a Bachelor's in English. I have this fist-filled mixture of faith and reality, constantly battling to get a full hold of my attention. I then thought of millions of other dreamers who maybe facing the same dilemma that I am. This then brought me back to the little girl, approaching me without a care in the world, asking about something she has no clue about, yet was determined to let me know she, too, wanted to find it.
This brings me to the idea of the classic cookie jar metaphor. Our parents have constantly told us to never put our hands in the cookie jar because it represents a principle--no means no. In our case, many have told us that our dreams are chocolate chip cookies we can never fully enjoy because the satisfaction is only momentary. Picture a kid being told to leave that glass bottle full of cookies alone as it sits on the counter, pushed back to the wall under the cabinet. As adults, the statement that would place a halt in our step is "I can't get those cookies", but for a child, it is more of a question: "How can I get them without getting caught?" The child has already established the truth that they will get their hands on the forbidden goods. Their next step is basically stradigizing. I thought to myself , how uncanny! The child proceeds by pushing the chair towards the counter. They climb with little hands, maneuvering their bodies to get up from the floor. They stand on their tip-toes in the seat, reaching for the glass only to grab it, open the top, and take as many as they can. The child doesn't understand that cookies leave crumbs. They don't consider that the parent(s) know exactly how many were in there. They don't think of the consequences. Their focus is on the now.
Not focusing on tomorrow is an illogical move for us adults, but tomorrow is what we're constantly stressing over. That's why God instructs us to think like a child because despite the child not considering the repercussions, their persistence out weighs ours any day. God says in Matthew 18:3 that unless we become like children, we never enter the kingdom of Heaven. It is vital that we think as children do in the aspect of having no fear, fully depending on Him to supply our needs. Don't worry about the crumbs you leave, my friend, or the people who verbally and physically attempt to restrict you from ever climbing that counter. You have the potential to move the chair, climb it, tip-toe, reach and grab. You say that you can never grasp your dream. How would you know if you've never attempted to take hold? Your cookies are just a few fingers away. Don't focus on what you can't do, but center your thoughts on what you have to do in order to bring your desires to life.
It was about 11:15 PM that night and I was driving home from work when the song "The Dreamer" by Common was ending through my speakers on a mixed CD. I immediately thought of how much I wanted to write and work and not do one more than the other. I wanted to create a balance. The typical concept of the "dream job" begin to echo in my mind, reminding me of doing what I've always wanted to do since high school--get paid to write. Most would think of it as a unreachable desire, especially after learning that I just graduated from undergrad with a Bachelor's in English. I have this fist-filled mixture of faith and reality, constantly battling to get a full hold of my attention. I then thought of millions of other dreamers who maybe facing the same dilemma that I am. This then brought me back to the little girl, approaching me without a care in the world, asking about something she has no clue about, yet was determined to let me know she, too, wanted to find it.
This brings me to the idea of the classic cookie jar metaphor. Our parents have constantly told us to never put our hands in the cookie jar because it represents a principle--no means no. In our case, many have told us that our dreams are chocolate chip cookies we can never fully enjoy because the satisfaction is only momentary. Picture a kid being told to leave that glass bottle full of cookies alone as it sits on the counter, pushed back to the wall under the cabinet. As adults, the statement that would place a halt in our step is "I can't get those cookies", but for a child, it is more of a question: "How can I get them without getting caught?" The child has already established the truth that they will get their hands on the forbidden goods. Their next step is basically stradigizing. I thought to myself , how uncanny! The child proceeds by pushing the chair towards the counter. They climb with little hands, maneuvering their bodies to get up from the floor. They stand on their tip-toes in the seat, reaching for the glass only to grab it, open the top, and take as many as they can. The child doesn't understand that cookies leave crumbs. They don't consider that the parent(s) know exactly how many were in there. They don't think of the consequences. Their focus is on the now.
Not focusing on tomorrow is an illogical move for us adults, but tomorrow is what we're constantly stressing over. That's why God instructs us to think like a child because despite the child not considering the repercussions, their persistence out weighs ours any day. God says in Matthew 18:3 that unless we become like children, we never enter the kingdom of Heaven. It is vital that we think as children do in the aspect of having no fear, fully depending on Him to supply our needs. Don't worry about the crumbs you leave, my friend, or the people who verbally and physically attempt to restrict you from ever climbing that counter. You have the potential to move the chair, climb it, tip-toe, reach and grab. You say that you can never grasp your dream. How would you know if you've never attempted to take hold? Your cookies are just a few fingers away. Don't focus on what you can't do, but center your thoughts on what you have to do in order to bring your desires to life.
Comments
Post a Comment