now for something less theological and more fun….a story from college

So one day, I’m passing through the lobby of our college dorm and I see several handsome and popular men hanging out and playing video games on the big screen. These are friends of mine, one of which I have a small crush on. Immediately my mind begins to wonder how to get myself invited into this circle of testosterone …and I recall what my mother taught me: the way to a mans heart is through his stomach.

So I rush to my dorm room and whip up my famous cake mix cookies (any cake mix, one stick butter, 1 or 2 eggs, and voila! thick delicious cookies!). I always kept a cake mix in the cabinet in those days for such emergencies as this! What other way to demonstrate that I am a viable candidate for marriage then to share my delicious cooking? As soon as the cookies are done, I throw them on a platter and rush back to the lobby, in hopes they are still hanging out.

Quick note: at this point in my life, my hair is nice and long….that will be important in a moment

I casually come over, offer my delicious cookies, and snag a seat on the couch with the handsome (did I mention popular?) gentlemen. So far, so good! They love them! The warm out of the oven, chocolate, chewy cookies are a hit! I’m reveling in my mastery and cunning, watching them enjoy the morsels, hearing them say how nice it was for me to cook these for them…..and then….suddenly… Drew, makes an odd face.

Drew reaches into his mouth and slowly, very slowly, pulls a hair from his mouth. He must have grabbed it just right as to catch the end of the strand, because he pulled for what seemed an eternity in my memory, until one twelve inch long, chocolate covered strand of my beautiful hair was dangling from his fingers. everyone stops. we all stare at Drew. He looks at the uneaten half of his cookie, with fearful suspicion, and slowly, very slowly, returns it to the cookie platter on the coffee table. no one moves. we sit there for what felt like an eternity. an eternity of embarrassment. I’m speechless. horrified. I am just about to turn and run away… when…another guy, Josh, casually reaches over and takes the uneaten half of Drew’s cookie and plops it fearlessly into his mouth!!! He makes yummy noises and reaches for a fresh cookie. Suddenly, the other guys follow his lead, shrug off the memory of the long hair, and continue eating as before. The relief I felt was overwhelming! Josh literally saved the day!!!

Drew did not continue eating the cookies. Poor guy was too scarred, I fear, to try again. But I learned a very important lesson that day: one brave persons actions can rescue the tormented embarrassment of another persons failure. Proverbs 25.11 says A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. In my story, it was an timely action, but it was definitely an apple of gold to me! 

Well, I also decided to keep my hair pulled back when I cook. (and everyone who has ever eaten at my house quietly cheers in appreciation)

Side note: both of these men have gone on to do amazing things for the kingdom of God and I am blessed to share an alma mater with them! They are warriors for the gospel and I hope our paths cross again some day!