By
Dana Rausch
/ January 25, 2013
The story of the gingerbread man has been told for centuries. Similar to the game “telephone” it has been told in various forms throughout the years. Words have been added or deleted to change the flavor, yet the gist remains the same: 
· A gingerbread boy is created
· He jumps up and runs away
· He runs and is chased
· He ends up getting caught.
Although I no longer remember who I heard this version from, it is forever etched in my memory…….
A childless couple owned a neighborhood bakery. One day the wife created a beautiful gingerbread boy. She molded and shaped him into the perfect form. She decorated him with eyes, a mouth and buttons. She decided to add a little curly cue for hair and took great pride in what she had created. In the process she fell in love with this little gingerbread boy.
Placing him on the cookie sheet, she shared her most treasured masterpiece with her husband. They were so touched that they wanted to share it with their friends. Many of their friends and associates came to share in their excitement. As a few of those friends lingered, the husband and wife placed him in the oven and waited…….and waited. With much joy and enthusiasm she opened the door to check on him, and the gingerbread boy jumped up and leaped from the oven! As he began running away, she pleaded with him to stop. Seeing her heart in anguish, the husband ran after the gingerbread boy as the friends watched in sorrow.
But the gingerbread boy was too fast and the husband couldn’t keep up. Far and farther he ran until he could no longer be seen. With a sad heart he returned home to tell his wife.
As he ran the gingerbread boy encountered a dog, which he continued to outrun. And he ran and ran. He met a cat that he was able to out maneuver. And he ran and ran. At that point he bumped into a duck at the park who offered to swim him across the pond.
As he hesitated, a man sitting on a park bench invited the gingerbread boy to sit a few minutes to rest and contemplate the duck’s offer. As he jumped up on the bench the man grabbed him and snickered, “Now you are mine!”
The jealous and envious man owned a bakery in the same town hence had heard about this prized gingerbread boy. He had devised a plan to capture the gingerbread boy because of the attention and glory the other couple had received. Prideful, he took that gingerbread boy back to his bakery and put him on the prominent top shelf to sell and make a substantial profit.
Three days later the rightful owner of the gingerbread boy walked into that bakery. There he saw his masterpiece being sold for an outrageous amount. As this loving man questioned the bakery owner, he simply shrugged and arrogantly declared, “If you want him…..pay the price!”
As the man left, the gingerbread boy thought dismally he must not have been as loved as once thought. Why did he leave me here? He has abandoned me……
Meanwhile, the man sprinted home to tell his wife. They were so exuberant in finding their treasured boy. Without hesitation, they sold everything they had and bought back their gingerbread boy…..
This story was brought to mind this while working through my devotion. Currently I’m participating in a 21 day class called, HIS SIDE OF THE LOOKING GLASS”, I was given two scriptures to contemplate:
Ephesians 1:5-7 – “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son, He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
Psalm 103:4 – He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
In these two verses, I found numerous similarities to the gingerbread boy story:
· God has adopted us.
· God has brought us to himself.
· God takes great pleasure in us.
· Glorious grace is poured on us.
· God is rich in kindness and grace.
· God purchased our freedom.
· God forgives us.
· God redeems us.
· God crowns us with love.
· God crowns us with tender mercies.
All of this in those three verses………………..
How could I ever question God’s faithfulness and love towards me? Psalm 139 says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made…..1 Corinthians 6:20 says that I am bought with a price…….
Once again, I choose to believe the truth of what God says about me….and not the world……..
What will you choose today?
