It was late in the afternoon and Jennifer's mother was getting ready to bake some cookies for the evening meal. Jennifer loved to help her mother, even though she always made a big mess. Her mother didn't mind as along she helped clean it up. Pulling a chair over beside her mother, Jennifer climbed up with her wooden spoon ready to mix the batter. Her mother was always happy to have Jennifer's company, mess and all.
Mint chocolate chip cookies were on the menu. Jennifer's job was to stir the cookie dough and to put the chips in the dough. But somehow, her little fingers had a hard time staying out of the cookie dough.
"Jennifer", her mother said.' get your fingers out of the cookie dough. You have germs on them. Now go to the bathroom and wash your hands. You know that all good cooks always wash their hands before they cook and keep their fingers out of the food," explained mother.
Jennifer really did know better but cookie dough with mint chocolate chips with just too much of a temptation. When she returned from washing her hands, she helped her mother put the drops of dough on the cookie tray ready for the oven . She couldn't wait for them to finish baking. Her mother told her that she was not to eat any before dinner , because it would ruin her appetite. Jennifer didn't understand why one cookie would spoil her dinner. It didn't make any sense to her.
When the cookies came out of oven, they were put on a rack to cool. The aroma was too much of a temptation for Jennifer. As soon as her mother left to go out into the garden to gather some veggies for a salad for dinner, Jennifer could not resist another minute. She climbed up unto the counter and wrapped two cookies in a napkin. She then jumped down and ran off upstairs into her room. She put one cookie under her pillow and ate the other hiding in her closet.
But after she ate the cookie, she didn't feel very good and it wasn't her stomach! Something was wrong. Somehow that cookie didn't taste very good.
When Jennifer's mother came in from the garden, she noticed that two cookies were missing from the rack. "Oh no,' thought mother.'I hope Jennifer didn't take two cookies when I told her to wait?" Her mother's heart was broken. Her little girl had disobeyed. The last thing she wanted to do was to discipline her, but she knew she had no choice.
No sooner had she had that thought, when Jennifer came down stairs with a cookie wrapped up in a napkin. "Mommy,' said Jennifer handing her the wrapped up cookie. "I don't feel so good. I took two cookies, ate one and hid the other under my pillow. I need to put this one back."
Mommy took the cookie from Jennifer and said, "Jennifer, I was very disappointed when I saw that two cookies were missing after I told you not to to eat any before dinner."
"I know mommy, I disobeyed you and I stole two cookies, but I am so sorry. As soon as I ate the cookie, I knew something was wrong.
I didn't feel right. I keep hearing a voice in my head saying, 'eat the cookies, your mother will never know'. But, I knew that it was the devil tempting me. I remembered what you told me, "When you know what is the right thing to do and you don't do it, it is sin and you will not feel good.' I felt awful mommy and even the cookie didn't taste good. Will you please forgive me?"
"Jennifer, you did the right thing. God gave us a conscience to help us to do what is right. I am very happy that you listened to your conscience and said no to the devil. Stealing is wrong and you will never feel good when you steal or when you disobey your parents. It is God's way to keep you safe in a world that is so full of evil."
Mommy and Jennifer hugged. It felt so good to be forgiven. Because Jennifer had confessed to her mother her sin, her mother chose to show her God's grace and did not discipline her that night. Jennifer learned the importance of telling the truth . From that day on, she had learned how important it was to listen to her conscience and do what was right.
