The Secret and a Chocolate Chip Cookie

Let's start off with a quick disclaimer: after the events of the day, but prior to writing this post, I did a little research to find out what "The Secret" actually was, and I conclude it is a theory that took the Truth, twisted and wrung God out of it, and replaced God with worship of self. So in light of that, I am definitely NOT promoting nor supporting "The Secret," and have some theories about what ACTUALLY happened today. Make sure you read to the end.

One day a few summers ago, a golf league friend was telling me about Oprah and The Secret. The jist of it, as I understood it, was that you literally yelled into the universe something that you wanted, and then you waited for it to come back to you. I'm pretty sure it was listener error and not my friend's fault that I was so confused. Anyways, I understood that somehow, by telling the universe what I wanted and really focusing my energy on getting it, the universe would fulfill my request.

So today, in the law journal office, I was sitting with a few friends and it occurred to me that I wanted a chocolate chip cookie. I joked about The Secret, and we began visualizing our desires: we also wanted a certain friend to arrive so she could sign some cards, and another friend wanted an eggroll. But I was the only one who took the time to yell out to the universe, "CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE!!!"

Imagine our surprise when, in thirty minutes, CookieMan appeared. He walked in with a small wax-paper bag. I asked CookieMan if he had a cookie. He said yes. I asked what kind. He said chocolate chip. He asked if I wanted some; he had gotten it for me because I had let him borrow my phone charger. In his own words, "I was walking by the stand, and I heard a voice say, get [freetobeme350] a chocolate chip cookie."

Now, it is possible that he actually physically heard me. I am quite loud. (That was a joke, the stand is several blocks away. I'm not THAT loud). There was no way he received a text, because his phone was being charged with us in the journal office. Call it what you will, but I confidently asked for a chocolate chip cookie and I got one.

But why a chocolate chip cookie, and not the friend, or the eggroll? Was it because I said it out loud? Was it a coincidence? Do I believe in coincidence? (Not really.) Mathew 17:20 comes to mind: "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” But the context of those verses was healing a demon-possessed boy, not asking for a trivial chocolate chip cookie.

While I don't have a ready answer for why God sent me a cookie, I know that it had nothing to do with my powers. II Corinthians 3:4-6, my verse o' the day, reminds me that I am not sufficient to claim anything as coming from me; rather, my sufficiency comes from God. Yes, I am still a bit befuddled. Yes, I seem to be yelling a lot lately. Yes, I intend to see if I can replicate these cookie appearances.

But No, I'm not 100% sure I know what it all means.


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