Poor Charlie Brown

Poor Charlie Brown

May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.

Ruth 2:12

A little boy in Minnesota, nicknamed “Sparky,” drew a picture of his family dog, Spike, who ate unusual things such as pins and tacks. He sent it to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and the little comic got published with this caption: “A hunting dog that eats pins, tacks, and razor blades is owned by C. F. Schulz, St. Paul, Minnesota, drawn by Sparky.”

That little boy was Charles Schulz, and on October 2, 1950, his syndicated cartoon strip called “Peanuts” made its first appearance, featuring a dog named Snoopy. It also featured a lovable loser named Charlie Brown, a character named after one of Schulz’s coworkers at an art school. The “Peanuts” series ran for nearly fifty years, and at its peak it appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers in seventy-five countries.

Despite his relentless determination, Charlie Brown is a child who is continually discouraged by his own insecurities and is often taken advantage of by his peers, especially Lucy. Here’s an example: Lucy asks Charlie Brown to help with her homework. “I’ll be eternally grateful,” she promises. “Fair enough. I’ve never had anyone be eternally grateful before,” replied Charlie. “Just subtract 4 from 10 to get how many apples the farmer had left.”

Lucy says, “That’s it! That’s it! I have to be eternally grateful for that? I was robbed! I can’t be eternally grateful for this, it was too easy!”

With his blank stare, Charlie replies, “Well, whatever you think is fair.”

“How about if I just say ‘thanks, Bro?’” replied Lucy.

As Charlie leaves to go outside, he meets Linus, “Where’ve you been, Charlie Brown?”

“Helping Lucy with her homework.”

Linus asks, “Did she appreciate it?”

Charlie answers, “At greatly reduced prices.”^a

Ever felt like Charlie? You’re not alone. We all need to know we are needed and that we offer something of value. But too often most of us feel like the appreciation we receive is offered at reduced prices. As we’re edging toward the Thanksgiving season in the weeks to come, don’t let your appreciation of each other and those around you go on sale.

It always gets darkest just before it gets totally black.

—Charlie Brown

^a 116