"Homemade Brownies"

(An oldie but goodie)

"Homemade Brownies"

 Last week, I walked into my office to find a sandwich bag on
my desk containing three chewy, tasty, homemade chocolate brownies. 
      
 Some thoughtful and anonymous person who knew my love for
tasty homemade brownies had placed them there, along with a hand written
short story.   
     
 I immediately sat down and began eating the first chewy,
tasty, homemade brownie as I read the following story:  
     
 Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the theater
to watch a movie that all their friends had seen. After reading some
reviews about the movie on the Internet, he denied their request. 
      
 "Aw dad, why not?" they complained. "It's rated PG-13,
and we're both older than thirteen!"  
 
 Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity and portrays
 immorality as being normal and acceptable behavior. 
      
     
 "But dad, those are just very small parts of the movie! That's
 what our friends who've seen it have told us. The movie is two hours
 long and those scenes are just a few minutes of the total film! It's
 based on a true story and good triumphs over evil, and there are other
 redeeming themes like courage and self-sacrifice. Even the movie review
 web sites say that!" 
     
     
"My answer is 'no,' and that is my final answer. You are welcome to stay
 home tonight, invite some of your friends over, and watch one
 of the good videos we have in our home collection. But you will not go and
 watch that film. End of discussion."  
 
 
 The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and
 slumped down on the couch. As they sulked, they were surprised to hear
 the sounds of their Father preparing something in the kitchen.
 They soon recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven,
 and one of the teenagers said to the other, "Dad must be feeling
 guilty, and now he's going to try to make it up to us with some fresh brownies. 
 Maybe we can soften him with lots of praise when he brings them out to
 us and persuade him to let us go to that movie after all."   
     
 About that time I began eating the second brownie from the
 sandwich bag and wondered if there was some connection to the brownies I
 was eating and the brownies in the story. I kept reading... 
   
 The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father appeared
 with a plate
 of warm brownies, which he offered to his kids. They each took one.
 Then their father said, "Before you eat, I want to tell you
 something: I love you both so much. "The teenagers smiled at each other with
 knowing glances. Dad was softening. "That is why I've made these
 brownies with the very best ingredients. I've made them from scratch. Most
 of the ingredients are even organic. The best organic flour. The best
 free-range eggs. The best organic sugar. Premium Vanilla and chocolate." 
       
 The brownies looked mouthwatering, and the teens began to
 become a little impatient with their dad's long speech. 
       
 "But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There is one
ingredient I added that is not usually found in brownies. I got that
ingredient from our own back yard. But you needn't worry, because I only added
the tiniest bit of that ingredient to your brownies. The amount of
the portion is practically insignificant. So go ahead, take a bite
and let me know what you think." 
  
 "Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery ingredient
 is before we eat?" 
     
 "Why? The portion I added was so small. Just a teaspoonful.
 You won't even taste it."   
 
 "Come on, dad; just tell us what that ingredient is.  
     
 "Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients."
     
 "Dad!" 
  
 "Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is fresh
 organic....dog poop." 
 
 I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie and I spit
 it out into the wastebasket by my desk. I continued reading, now fearful
 of the paragraphs that still remained.  
     
 Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back on the plate and began inspecting their fingers with horror. 
     
 "DAD! Why did you do that? You've tortured us by making us
 smell those brownies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell us
 that you added dog poop! We can't eat these brownies!"  
     
 "Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small compared to the
rest of the ingredients. It won't hurt you. It's been cooked right
along with the other ingredients. You won't even taste it. It has the
 same consistency as the brownies. Go ahead and eat!" 
         
 "No, Dad....NEVER! "  
     
 "And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go watch that movie.
 You won't tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why
 should you tolerate a little immorality in your movies? 
     
 We pray that Our Heavenly Father will not lead us unto
 temptation, so how can we in good conscience entertain ourselves with
 something that will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will lead us
 into temptation long after we first see it? 
      
     
 I discarded what remained of the second brownie as well as the
 entire untouched third brownie. What had been irresistible a minute a
 go had become detestable! And only because of the very slim chance
 that what I was eating was slightly polluted. (Surely it wasn't . . . but
 I couldn't convince myself.) 
     
     
 What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate any sin?
On the day of the Passover, the Israelites were commanded to remove every
bit of leaven from their homes. Sin is like leaven - a little bit
leavens the whole lump; faith and sin, don't mix. (1 Corinthians 5:6, 7) 
Make it a blessed day and enjoy something sweet today!