Monday Morning Devotion-January 25, 2021

The Security Blanket

Above all love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins.    1 Peter 4:8

      Many of you know Linus Van Pelt.  He's a fictional character in the comic strip Peanuts created by the late Charles M. Schulz.  Linus is the best friend of the hapless, loveable Charlie Brown and he's the younger brother of the °uh, bratty Lucy.

            Linus is ageless, as are the rest of the Peanuts characters who appear in the funny papers (as we used to call them.). Does anybody even read the funny papers anymore?  For that matter how many folks read the daily newspaper?  I do.  But it's different.  My copy comes to me online each day.

            Anyway, I digress (what else is new?).  Linus first appeared on September 19, 1952. sucking his thumb and holding his ever-present security blanket.  Now, going on 69 years later, Linus still appears in the Sunday funnies and while he has pretty much grown out of the thumb sucking, he still has that security blanket.

            When chided about the blanket by Charlie Brown Linus got upset and shouted:       "Listen Charlie Brown that blanket soaks up all my fears and frustrations."  So there!

            For all his insecurities Linus is often the voice of reason saying things like:

            "There's no heavier burden than a great potential."

            "Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness."

            "Why worry about the future when the present is more than most of us can handle."

            "Life is like a ten-speed bicycle°some of us have gears we never use."

            Pretty smart thinking for a little guy who needs a security blanket with him to get through the day.  Right?

            Security blankets for little ones can be a good thing.  A blanket or a teddy bear makes them feel safe.  Scientific research says that having a security blanket or a beloved Teddy helps them to feel safe in taking small risks and will feel free and unafraid to transition into taking larger risks as they grow and change. (www.preschoolinspiratons.com)

            As we grow up, we still face fears and insecurities.  But these become much larger than being afraid of the dark or the monsters we have seen in the movies.   Real life situations can sometimes seem, well let's face it, terrifying.  "What ifs" can send you scurrying to find a security blanket.

            "The apostle Peter knew something about fear.  When Jesus was arrested, Peter first displayed courage by following the Lord into the courtyard of the high priest.  But then he began to show his fear by lying to protect his identity.  He spoke disgraceful words that denied his Lord."

            Now Peter had real fear and insecurity.  His security blanket, Jesus, was no longer around and worse still Peter felt the overwhelming weight of his betrayal.  The One who had always been there was no longer with him and not only that his own personal actions had stained that warm fuzzy, security-blanket feeling he had. (Our Daily Bread: And He Walks with Me- "A Blanket for Everyone"- January 21)

            In John 21:15 Jesus tells Peter not to worry He still loves him.  But there is something that Peter can do to show his love for Jesus.  The answer was; "Feed my sheep."  In other words, Peter don't just feel relieved and secure because I still love you.  The way to show your love for Me is to pass it on.  Take that warm fuzzy security-blanket feeling and share it with others. 

            In 1 Peter 4:8 Jesus tells Peter that love covers a multitude of sins.  There are others who haven't had the close, personal relationship with Him that Peter had been privileged to have, but he was blessed with an important mission now.  He could share that love with others and rescue them from the fears that beset them.

            The Message puts it this way:

 "Love makes up for practically anything.  Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless----cheerfully.  Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it; if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help.  That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and He'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything---encores to the end of time."

            A way of describing how something has affected you is to call it a "warm fuzzy feeling."  That probably has come, indirectly, from Linus.  That's what his security blanket gave him.  When we feel secure in the knowledge that we are being led to act in the right way we have that kind of feeling.

            It's the feeling that our trust in the Lord gives us.  He is our security blanket and the ammunition he gives us to blast away the cares of the world is love.  His love.

            That's the security blanket we are called to share with others.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your love that is our security blanket and a treasure to be shared with others.    Amen!