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Blanketed

  • December 13, 2022
  • Posted by: Carolyn Mahal
  • Category: Devotions
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“If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him. If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents. Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away. And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. You will lie down, and none will make you afraid; many will court your favor. – Job 11:13-19

Linus Van Pelt is one of the members of the “Peanuts Gang;” the famous comic strip written by Charles Schulz. He is Charlie Brown’s best friend, Lucy’s little brother, Sally’s love interest, and the Great Pumpkin’s biggest (and only) fan. He is the second baseman on Charlie Brown’s baseball team and isn’t afraid to tell you the real meaning of Christmas. Despite all of that, Linus is probably best known for one thing: a blue blanket that he takes with him just about everywhere he goes. Linus is a smart, resourceful, level-headed kid, except when he is separated from his blanket for even the briefest of moments. Lose the blanket, and Linus is a wreck.

For Linus, the blanket has nothing to do with keeping him warm or the feel of the fabric. It’s all about the security. We can relate to Linus because at one point in our lives, we all owned a favorite thing that we clung to for security. It could have been a blanket, a stuffed animal, a pillow or some other familiar object. Whatever it was, we created a belief in our minds that this specific item would provide us with safety and comfort in any situation. Over time, those items became very tattered, dirty, and worn out from being overly held, hugged and handled. But it didn’t matter just how ragged it became. If it calmed us down and we believed that it would make things better, that’s exactly what it did.

Unfortunately, at some point in our lives, we gave up our security items and ventured out on our own. This likely came about shortly after you were teased about having it for the first time. Other people have a way of shaming us into decisions that do more to satisfy their desires at the expense of what we like and know is right. Yes, maybe this is overthinking it. I mean, it does make sense when talking about schoolmates and cousins who might tease us for our teddy bear. Some might even say that this is a good thing, preventing us from taking our blankie into a job interview or on a first date as adults. But now that we’re looking at this as adults, I feel that there are also times where this same pattern of behavior can lead to a dangerous outcome.

For many in the world, religious beliefs are nothing more than fables. Our relationship with God, our belief in Jesus Christ; all fairy tales designed to give the simple and the unenlightened a sense of security regarding their place in the universe. They say faith is infantile and people who choose to believe the lies are mindless sheep who would be better off if they would abandon such childish notions. The world is filled with people, groups, and organizations who work diligently to discredit Christian ideals and the people who follow them. For many who want to fit in to the world, who want to impress those who would challenge the validity of their faith, they give in to the pressure and walk away from what they have been taught. Or maybe they hold onto their beliefs but are careful to keep such thoughts hidden from others who would criticize them. It’s hard as adults to stand up for our faith when it is simply unwanted in so many places.

So, what are we to do? I say we listen to our inner child.

When Lucy tries to take Linus’s blanket away, she is met with stiff competition. In 99% of their interactions, Lucy would win any fight with Linus. Add the potential loss of the blanket to the equation, and Linus will put up the fight of his life. He clings to the blanket with everything he has, determined to never be separated from the thing he loves more than anything else. We, like Linus, must cling to our faith with every fiber of our being when Satan would challenge and tempt us to abandon it. When we put our faith in God. When we dedicate our lives to the One who created us, who saved us from our sins, and who provides us with everything we need to live through Him, there is nothing in all of creation that can separate us from the all-powerful love of God. In Him we will find strength, forgiveness, grace, peace, hope, and a sense of security that the world could never match.

Hold tight to your faith in every situation. He will deliver you from sin. He will bless your coming and going, and as Linus would be pleased to hear, He will blanket you from the nastiest attacks of the world – including big sisters.

 

Devotion by Richard Schumacher

Senior Director of Operations