Cookies in Your Purse

I have a friend whose discoveries in faith are DELIGHTING my heart!  She is hearing the voice of God, searching Scripture for herself and by the time she comes to me with a question, she already has tons of verses and will ask a question to refine her understanding.  Discipleship is one of my favorite things in life, but only when it is a hungry baby who can’t get enough to eat.

I’ve spent my life trying to spoon-feed babies who did NOT want to eat.  Have you ever tried to feed a baby that doesn’t want to eat?  They will blow raspberries into the spoon as you hold it to their lips spraying baby food all over your face, glasses and shirt.  They will swat the spoon away with their little hand, turn their head, clench their lips, grimace with their face and if you set the plate in front of them, they will without hesitation, aggressively throw that plate off the side of their highchair if you’re not quick enough to stop them.

That VERY SAME TODDLER will come over to you an hour later with a look of desperation in their eyes as they whimper, “I hungwee.”  Will we withhold food from that baby because they blew pureed peas in our face just an hour before?  No, we will sit them down in their highchair, put a bib on them and spoon feed them those exact same peas that they will gladly consume because they’re hungry.

My friend feels a burden for some unsaved people in her life.  She wants to help them, but I explained that we don’t have the power to open ANYONE’s eyes.  I asked her how long she has been a Christian.  She said, “since I was about five years old.”  I then asked, “how old are you now?”  She’s 41.  “And you’re just now getting hungry?”

I encouraged her to treat Scripture like a bag of cookies in her purse.  When someone comes to her and she thinks they’re hungry, give them one cookie.  Give them one verse and say, “look this verse up and let me know what you think.”  Maybe they will and maybe they won’t.  If they don’t, don’t hand them another cookie, just keep walking.

As faithful followers of Jesus, we should live our lives like we have a baggie of cookies in our purse, willing to share but unwilling to force feed.  If we become known as the lady with the cookies in her purse, when people get hungry, they will come to us and we will have what they need.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense TO EVERYONE WHO ASKS YOU a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

1 Peter 3:15 NKJV

TO EVERYONE WHO ASKS YOU….