The Cookie Jar

The cookie jar

Well, she's gone. And this time I feel a little bit different about it. I don't have that feeling "victory" that I used to have. Instead, I'm very sad.

The Tenant who would not pay her rent moved out of her own accord yesterday. What she did was bad. And where she's going, well, I hope this will be much betters for her. But as of right now, she is headed towards the cookie jar.

What is the cookie jar?

It's like a child who sits in his room contemplating on how to get a cookie out of the cookie jar without being caught. Once his plan is contrived, he sets out to go and get that cookie. On the way, he can't resist looking in his sisters bedroom. Seeing that her bed so nicely made, whereas his is a mess, he enters in and ruffles her bed. As soon as that is done, he heads back out on his path towards the cookie jar. He is full of mischief and just can't stop getting into little of 'this and that' on the way. As he passes through the living room his eyes catch a can of peanuts near his father's chair. He cannot resist. Sneaking over, he quickly pries open the lid takes a handful of peanuts. Still, this does not distract him from his main mission.

Today, this child is just down right mischievous. His ultimate goal is to get that cookie located in the cookie jar on top of the refrigerator that he has been told not to touch.

Yes, you know it, as he's climbing up the cabinets and reaching over towards the cookie jar mama comes in and he's busted.

So you ask, what's this got to do lady who moved out? To me, right now, it is as if she was on the way to the cookie jar. She stops to mess up her sisters bed and steal peanuts, but this not that big of a deal. It's not good, but that is not the ultimate 'do not touch.' From here she will continue on and get into mischief in one place or another. Her feet are set on a destructive path. Ultimately, she's going to get busted. One day, if she does not change her ways, she's not going to meet 'mama' at the cookie jar, she's going to meet our Father.

Instead of being judged as a child, she will be judged as a thief.

But for right now as I look at the mischief in her life, this is nothing compared what's ahead.

I am glad that this woman is gone. She did not pay her rent. And someone needs to move in who will pay their rent so that this business can run and support other residents.

So you see, that's why it's not much of a victory to me. Not this time. I'm looking ahead at the time she gets her hand caught in the cookie jar. But we pray the Lord will intervene in her life and send somebody who can help her see how much she needs Jesus. This would be the real victory.

sj