HOW JESUS TURNED A COOKIE SCOOP INTO THE GOSPEL FOR THOUSANDS!

By: Donna Selma Lind

"For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry." 1 Kings 17:16

People call him "The Cookie Man." He is a sweet gentleman who has a Cookie Ministry where he shares the love of Jesus with his home baked Cookies! 

A while back I Heard "Cookie Man" was looking for a cookie scoop to make his cookie baking easier. I told my husband, next time we go to Walmart I'm going to buy Floyd the "Cookie Man" a new Cookie Scoop.

About the same time I was the Prayer Ministry Coordinator for "LIGHT THE LAKE" a Free Christian Concert and Festival in Stockton, MO. I was trying to find donations of Bibles and Devotion books that we could hand out at the Prayer Tent. Every place I called required a large amount of money that was not in our budget. I just kept praying, God please send us copies of The Good News for us to share in the Prayer Tent, and please make them Free!

The next day Pastor Gary and his wife Linda from my Church Bolivar 1st AG, generously donated three hundred copies of the Book of John! Hallelujah!

That was a great beginning, but I still needed about seven hundred more!

I kept praying, kept believing, kept seeking and kept knocking! I was hitting a brick wall but I didn't give up, because I knew My God would supply ALL my needs according to His riches and Glory! Philippians 4:19 

A few days later we were getting ready to go to Walmart and in my spirit I heard; 

"GO CLEAN OUT YOUR PANTRY AND GIVE ALL OF YOUR BAKING SUPPLIES TO FLOYD."

What? ALL my supplies? 

YES, ALL YOUR SUPPLIES!

Everything?

YES, EVERYTHING!

I had boxes and boxes of baking supplies. Bags of Flour, Sugar, Chocolate chips, Brown sugar, Cake Mixes, Cookie mixes, Vanilla, Melting dark chocolate and white chocolate and cans of pie filling, frosting, and Oil! I completely emptied my pantry. I gave it all. 

I was reminded of the Bible story of the widow of Zarephath as I cleaned out my cupboards.

We boxed everything up and my husband added several dozen fresh farm eggs. 

I reminded my husband, We are stopping at Walmart so I can pick up a new Cookie Scoop!

Then, I heard in my spirit; 

GO TO THE DRAWER AND GET YOUR PAMPERED CHEF COOKIE SCOOP AND GIVE IT TO THE COOKIE MAN.

What? No, I'm imagining that. Not my Pampered Chef Cookie Scoop!

YES, YOUR PAMPERED CHEF COOKIE SCOOP. GIVE IT TO HIM!

But God, you know that's my favorite! But, I'm going to buy him a new one at Walmart, he will like that much better. (Have you ever bargained with God before about something?)

My husband beeped the horn. Let's go! 

I grabbed my purse and closed the door behind me.

GO BACK AND GET THE COOKIE SCOOP!

I knew it was God talking to me, so, I unlocked the door and went back in the kitchen and grabbed my favorite Pampered Chef Cookie Scoop and stuffed it in my purse.

1 Samuel 15:22 "What is more pleasing to the LORD; your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,"

We still stopped at Walmart and bought a new Cookie Scoop because I kept thinking, he is going to want a new one and not my old Pampered Chef scoop!(Someone say, Whale's Belly!)

We knocked on Cookie Man's door and we carried in all the boxes. He was surprised and overwhelmed with all the baking supplies. What a joy to be able to help this dear man in his special ministry! 

He thanked us over and over, we were getting ready to go, when I pulled my scoop out of my purse and the shiny new scoop still in it's package from Walmart and set them side by side on the table.

Now Cookie Man, which Cookie Scoop would you rather have, this nice brand new scoop or this old one here? (I was still hanging on!) 

He picked up both the scoops and looked them over and when he saw my old scoop he started to cry, "Pampered Chef? I've been praying for a Pampered Chef Cookie Scoop! I've been praying all morning for one just like this , exactly this size! I can't believe it, I finally got my Pampered Chef Cookie Scoop!"

Oh Glory to God, He cried, I cried. He was blessed, I was blessed and I knew without a doubt that it was God that was speaking to me that morning so specifically because Cookie Man was praying so specifically! 

God Hears our Prayers!

I admit it, I dragged my feet for a bit, it isn't always easy to obey God, but it is ALWAYS Good to obey God and God is Always Good!

I got home that day and the phone rang, and it kept ringing! Calls from other Ministries donating Bibles and Devotions for our "LIGHT THE LAKE" outreach! Tom and Cindy Johnson from SLING N STONES gave over one hundred Bibles! 

Other Ministries called and donated! 

In the end God took a Cookie Scoop, some Flour and Oil and Baking supplies and turned them into several thousand copies of the Good News of Jesus Christ to share with the multitudes! Praise the Lord!

The night of our Light the Lake Outreach nearly ten thousand people came! Hundreds gave their hearts to Jesus, countless re-dedicated their lives to the Lord and many were Baptized under a huge 25 ft. Cross that lit up the hot July sky!  

Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus! All Glory be to God!

We passed out the copies of the Good News all day and night and I still can't explain how when the event was over we had boxes of Bibles and Devotion books leftover! 

Just like Jesus did with the Loaves and Fishes! 

But here is the coolest thing that brings this story full circle! (I know it's a BIG circle!)

Right before the last Altar call, I looked at my purse and there was a Cookie Scoop sticking out of it! That's right a Cookie Scoop, a PAMPERED CHEF COOKIE SCOOP! in the middle of a Prayer Tent in a sea of thousands of people, how did a Cookie Scoop end up in my Purse?

I questioned everyone, and no one knew. I was convinced the Cookie Man gave it back especially since it was a Pampered Chef exactly like the one I gave away! (Hey I should get some kind of a kick back for mentioning Pampered Chef so many times in this story! ;-) 

I found out the next day that our Church Youth Pastor Mike's wife Christa had heard the story about how God turned my Cookie Scoop and the Flour and Oil baking supplies into thousands of Bibles and Devotion Books! 

She said she was baking some chocolate chip cookies and reached into the drawer for her cookie scoop and there were two in the drawer! She only had one and had know idea how she ever ended up with two! When she picked the extra scoop up and examined  it closely it was stamped inside the handle with the words PAMPERED CHEF! Christa said she never owned a Pampered Chef Scoop! She knew God put it there for her to give it to me! Thank you Christa!

Can you believe that? Glory to God! He gave me back my Cookie Scoop! Thank you Father God!

Because He loves us and He wants to Bless His children! He is a good, good Father! Yay! He loves us!

 

When we let go of what is in our hand, God will release what is in His hand!

 Sometimes we hold onto something or someone so tight that we don't have any room left to open up to something far greater and better than we can ever imagine!

What are you holding onto? 

What are you ready to let go of so your life and the Kingdom of God can grow, multiply and be glorified? 

  "And the Word of the Lord continued to grow and be multiplied." 

Acts 12:24

"Give and it will be given unto you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will it be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."Luke 6:38

AND THAT'S THE SCOOP! ;-)