Just Drop the Blanket – IOTW Report

Just Drop the Blanket

Sunday, 6 December 2020, 12:00 MJA Uncategorized 35

The Moment You Never Noticed in A Charlie Brown Christmas.

2015 14 Dec-

his week A Charlie Brown Christmas aired on national prime time television for the 50th time. In a world where the latest greatest technology is outdated in a matter of months, and social media trends come and go in a matter of days, 50 years of anything becomes quite meaningful.

I am a fan of all things nostalgic and all things Christmas, and so when the two are combined I am hooked, and the Charlie Brown Christmas special falls squarely into that category.

I was in the first grade back when they still performed Christmas pageants in schools (less than 50 years, but still a very long time ago), and our class performed a version of the Charlie Brown Christmas. Since I was kind of a bookworm and already had a blue blanket, I was chosen to play the part of Linus. As Linus, I memorized Luke 2:8-14, and that Scripture has been hidden in my heart ever since.

But while working so diligently to learn those lines, there is one important thing I didn’t notice then, and didn’t notice until now.

Right in the middle of speaking, Linus drops the blanket.

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35 Comments on Just Drop the Blanket

  1. A beautiful reflection on an all important message.
    I think any of us who were raised with Christianity have memorized similar verses over the years, as well as many, many others. Thank you so much for the share and a Blessed Christmas prayer for you, MJA.

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  6. livingthecovelife- Thank you! And the same to you.

    That part in the show, when I noticed him drop that blanket and I always felt like he was so overcome and wrapped up with what he was saying that he just ‘let it go’. But I didn’t attach ‘he let go of his fear’ to it. As a kid, I sorta saw the blanket as a bad habit or refusing to grow up. I guess I didn’t attach fear to it. Which it kinda makes sense. Fear is a part of, if not a small part, of not ‘letting go.’

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  10. MJA – “…I guess I didn’t attach fear to it…”

    That’s why they call it a security blanket. Why do we need security? Because we fear something.

    That was an interesting observation by the writer of that piece.

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  12. Ezekiel 25:17 (according to Jules):

    “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”

    POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!

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  13. I, too, was a bit nostalgic this year. I put up the aluminum Christmas tree from my childhood…complete with color wheel! (I call it my Charlie Brown Christmas tree but man, does it take me back to the good old days!)

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  15. Anonymous December 6, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    ‘…Is it even still legal to air this on national prime time television?…’

    Apple TV tried to take it off the free national broadcast channels, but was met with a large public backlash (same with C.B. Thanksgiving). So as a sort of “in your face” move, the agreed to let it be aired on PBS.

    https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/18/a-charlie-brown-christmas-will-air-on-pbs-in-spite-of-apple-tv-rights-exclusive/

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  17. I am not a fan of PBS (why do they get our tax dollars?), but I am glad that they are allowed to air Charlie Brown specials. No thanks to Steve Jobs and Apple who have tried to coerce us into paying for the ability to see any truly wholesome show.
    I did just notice that after the C.B. special they are showing the TSO. I like their music (though not the lead singer’s voice). I will be recording both in a week.

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  18. Love this.
    And love the explanation in the second article, linked at the bottom of the first, as to why he picks up the blanket again… and what he ends up doing with it.

    Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. –Matthew 18:3

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  20. For those who know the Lord, this scripture is profound when sharing the Gospel. Charles Schultz brilliantly depicts this using his cartoon character, Linus. This Word speaks to the heart of man so directly, it’s difficult to deny.

    The following scripture is framework for the faith and boldnesss needed to tell the world about Christ, The Lord and Savior:

    1 Timothy 1:7-10, The Holy Bible

    “7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

    8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

    9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

    10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,..”

    Christians have to take every opportunity to share The Gospel. Especially, during holiday seasons when the world is more receptive.

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  23. stirrin the pot-
    When I grew up, there was no such thing as a ‘security blanket.’ I never saw anyone visibly attached to ‘something’ unless they were special needs kids.
    And when I first saw that cartoon, that’s what I thought Linus was. A Special needs kid. I am a born-here US citizen but I didn’t live in the US between ages 2 and 10ish so my perception of stuff back then was a little different.

    Also, Woodstock works my nerves. I don’t know why but he does. 😀

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  24. MJA – from Wikipedia: “…A comfort object, transitional object, or security blanket is an item used to provide psychological comfort, especially in unusual or unique situations, or at bedtime for children. Among toddlers, comfort objects may take the form of a blanket, a stuffed animal, or a favorite toy, and may be referred to by nicknames.”

    I know that my kids had their “blankies”, which they dropped as they got older and more self-assured.

    Me, on the other hand, I never had a security blanket. I was born fearless!! Heh heh, ahemmm! 😉

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  25. stirrin the pot have you ever seen ‘Impractical Jokers’?
    One of the gang (Murray) has a torn up, nasty childhood blanket he sleeps with to this day. He’s something like 45 years old. He’s a funny guy and he has a job and all, but that blanket (to me) is fucking disturbing. lol.

    update…I just went to confirm his age and saw that he just got married and his wife is 25 lolol.

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  29. Schulz was a brilliant man and understood more about psychology, and especially child psychology, more than anyone. I read this article and just started “tearing up”. Linus was one smart kid.

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  32. “Kinda stupid, why did he pick the blanket back up then?”

    Guess what? The Holy Bible addresses this exact dilemma;

    Romans 7:15-
    15 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.

    16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good.

    17 In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

    18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

    19 For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.

    20 And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

    21 So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.

    22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law.

    23 But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.

    24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
    25 Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!

    26 So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

    The Linus character represents what this scripture describes -our dependence on (sin) natures and behaviors.
    So easy for us to rely on our weaknesses like fear, to take over when we don’t rely on God through Christ.

    Linus picking up his blanket again just illustrates the constant struggle with our weaknesses.

    However, Romans 8:1-11 provides the solution;

    1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

    2 For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set youb free from the law of sin and death.

    3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh,

    4 so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

    5 Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

    6 The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace,

    7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

    8 Those controlled by the fleshd cannot please God.

    9 You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

    10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alivee because of righteousness.

    11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the deadf will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.”

    Yes, this has been a long scriptual reference post, yet when The Holy Bible targets a subject so succinctly, it’s seem important enough to dig deeper and fully present this vital information.
    Hope, this has been helpful.

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  35. No, not a loss of Faith, instead, a Thorn in the Flesh. God can use us despite our weaknesses. That way God gets the credit – the Glory. Paul noted this in scripture;

    2 Corithians 12:7-10

    “7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me,

    “8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

    9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

    10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

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