Just Drop the Blanket
Each Christmas for the past nearly six decades, Americans have gathered around the TV to watch one of the most iconic and beloved cartoon animations of all time, A Charlie Brown Christmas. And within this iconic show, is one of the most iconic scenes ever scripted -- Linus' monologue about the true meaning of Christmas.
Mocked, humiliated, and confused, Charlie Brown cries out, "Doesn't anybody know what Christmas is all about?!"
Linus gently replies, "I know what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." And with that He takes center stage to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel as recorded in Luke Chapter Two:
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
But have you ever noticed what happens right in the middle of that monologue? Linus drops his blanket!
Jason Soroski, writing for The Gospel Coalition, has this to say ...
Linus is most associated with his ever-present security blanket. Throughout the story of Peanuts, Lucy, Snoopy, Sally and others all work to no avail to separate Linus from his blanket. And even though his security blanket remains a major source of ridicule for the otherwise mature and thoughtful Linus, he simply refuses to give it up.
Until this moment. When he simply drops it.
In that climactic scene when Linus shares what “Christmas is all about,” he drops his security blanket, and I am now convinced that this is intentional. Most telling is the specific moment he drops it: when he utters the words “fear not” (at :44 seconds).
Soroski continues ...
... it’s pretty clear what Charles Schulz was saying through this, and it’s so simple it’s brilliant.
The birth of Jesus separates us from our fears.
The birth of Jesus frees us from the habits we are unable (or unwilling) to break ourselves.
The birth of Jesus allows us to simply drop the false security we have been grasping so tightly, and learn to trust and cling to him instead. ...
... in the midst of fear and insecurity, this simple cartoon image from 1965 continues to live on as an inspiration for us to seek true peace and true security in the one place it has always been and can always still be found.
And where is that? In Christ alone!
Won't you join Linus? Lean into the manger. Behold the gift of the Savior. And drop the blanket!
Yielding to Avoid a Crash or a Clash
Oklahoma highway patrolman Clinton Riggs was a student at the Northwestern University Traffic Institute, now the Center for Public Safety, in 1939 when he created the yield sign as a class assignment. The original yield sign was keystone shaped and read, “Yield Right of Way” in black letters on a bright, yellow background. Yellow was used because reflective material was not yet available and it was the most visible color at night.
*photo credit unknown
Riggs’ goal was to improve public safety and determine liability in an accident. In 1950, as a member of the Tulsa Police Department, Riggs placed the first yield sign at the most dangerous intersection in the city. Within a year, the number of accidents fell to zero. By 1954, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices added the yield sign to similar right-of-way intersections. Yield signs soon appeared at intersections across the country, with the keystone shape being replaced with an upside-down triangle with black lettering and a border, but the sign remained yellow. Over time, the signs began only saying “yield.”
Yielding not only helps us be better, safer, and more cnsiderate drivers. Yielding to God, to God's Word, to the Holy Spirit, and yeilding to each other helps us become better disciples of Jesus, children of God, and brothers and sisters to each other!
Oh the crashes and clashes we could avoid if we would just yield to the wisdom and commands of the Lord, and to the needs or preferences of others!
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit [YIELD!] to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).
"Submit [YIELD!] yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7, ESV).
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist [fail to YIELD] the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you" (Acts 7:51, ESV).
"Submitting [YIELDING] to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:21, ESV).
Playing Blind
Jasen Bracy always wanted to play football, but retinal cancer he developed as a toddler took his eyesight by the time he was age 7. How could he play a fast-paced contact sport like football if he couldn't see?
This was the question before him. Yet young Jasen would not be dissauded. As he got older, he began calling around to different youth leagues to see if there were any teams that would take a chance on a kid who was sold out to following and relying on the guidance and direction of others to make his dreams come true. He found just such a team in the Modesto Raiders.
"The way he was on the phone, I just said, 'Come on we'll figure it out,'" coach David Nichols told CBS News.
Jasen started out as a running back, but soon advanced to ... wait for it ... quarterback!
"It's all memory," Jasen said. "It's all about having trust in the player, the receiver and the team. I have to trust them 100%.
Upworthy reports:
Bracy's teammates guide him into position on the field and his dad coaches him from the sidelines using a walkie-talkie that transmits to his helmet. "After the play starts, I may tell him, 'Hey, run to your right, let's get upfield,' or 'Watch out, somebody's coming to hit you,'" Bracy Sr. said.
All that trust, all that deep leaning into guidance and direction seems to have paid off. Not long after, Bracy led the Raiders to a 33-6 win.
You do not need to be sighted to walk in the ways of the Lord. It is not our eyes, but the "eyes of our hearts" that we need opened. When we trust in His Word, His will, and his ways, our path will always be clear. His eye and His mighty hand will guide us! As He says in His word, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you" (Psalms 32:8, ESV).
Commit to the Lord's guidance, and commit His Word to your memory. Follow Jasen's example, "It's all about memory ... It's all about having trust ... [You] have to trust [Him] 100%."
"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand" (Psalms 37: 23-24, ESV).
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).