“God’s got your back." ~ 1 Peter 5:7
School was anything but pleasant
for the little boy whose uncle called him “Sparky. The son of a barber, Sparky was the youngest
in his class and notoriously shy. Throughout
his youth, he remained socially awkward. He wasn’t unlikeable; no one really
paid him much attention at all.
In his early years, Sparky endured a steady stream of
failures. Academically, he managed to
flunk every eighth grade subject. High
school showed little improvement. There he
failed Physics, Latin, Algebra and English.
His (lack of) athleticism drew pity. Though he managed to make the school’s golf
team, he lost the only important match of the season. Dating too, offered no solace. Painfully scared of rejection, Sparky never
once asked a girl out in high school.
Sparky was a loser; every classmate knew it. So he learned to live with his inescapable
mediocrity. His Lutheran faith taught
him that if things were meant to work out . . .
they would.
He also tried Walt Disney Studios. They asked for samples of his artwork. Despite careful preparation, they too were promptly
rejected. No one seemed to appreciate
his talent. But that didn’t dissuade
him.
Instead, he decided to tell his own life’s story in a cartoon
strip. The main character would be a
little boy who symbolized the perpetual loser and chronic underachiever. He’d add childhood friends ‘Linus’ and
‘Shermy’; a cousin named ‘Patty’; and a ‘Little Red Haired Girl’ with who he
had once proposed marriage (she turned him down).
People readily identified with this “lovable loser.” He
reminded people of the agonizing and embarrassing moments from their own past,
of their pain and their shared humanity.
“Charlie Brown” and the “Peanuts Gang” soon became famous worldwide. And the world would soon come to love Charles
Schultz, aka Sparky, the cartoonist whose countless disappointments never stopped
him from trying.
Sparky’s story reminds us of a very important principle in
life. True character is like a diamond,
hidden in the coal mine – it’s revealed only when it’s struck a very hard blow. We all face discouragement from time to time.
We also have a choice in how we handle
it.
If we’re persistent, if we hold fast to our faith, if we
continue to develop the unique talents God has given us, who knows what can
happen? We may end up with an insight
and an ability to inspire that comes only through hardship. In the end, there are no “losers” with God. Some winners just take longer to develop!
“You’re a good man, Charlie Brown.”
Father, thank You for the special talents
You’ve bestowed upon me. Thank You that
Your blessings come to me abundantly, unexpectedly, pleasantly - like
showers from heaven, like rivers
flowing through a thirsty land. Amen
