Happy New Year’s Eve and Seventh Day of Christmas! You know, I always have loved A Charlie Brown Christmas. It is my favorite Christmas special and I listen to the soundtrack year round. I was with my friend Daniel in Guatemala last January and we were working at a location where my coffee farming friends process and sell their coffee as we were listening to the soundtrack. And coincidentally, we will be back there the day this post is published and will most likely be listening to it again.

I have played songs from this soundtrack during musical-chairs type games at English Camps in Europe. And every time I hear Linus and Lucy, the signature song from the special where all the kids are dancing, I have to stop what I am doing and I start dancing. I’m listening to this album now and you can just imagine me jumping up and dancing when that song comes on; it’s a good thing I’m wearing my Bluetooth headphones.

There are so many Christian literary allusions throughout the Peanuts characters. My friend Britt shared some of thoughts on Linus earlier this month that were noted by a blogger named Jason Soroski* that I had never noticed before. When Linus is reciting Luke 2:8-14 he puts down his blanket, which represents his earthly security. As Britt wrote, “Why? The Good News is security enough!”

So after reading this I re-watched the scene where Linus tells Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about. And it’s even better than Linus putting down the blanket. He starts reciting the passage and after a couple verses he is still holding the blanket and then it comes. He spreads out his arms, drops the blanket and quotes the angel, “Fear not…”

Boom. You’ve heard of a drop the mic moment? Well, this was a drop the blanket moment. Fear not. But yet we do fear. We fear so much, but why? I don’t know but I can guess, I think it has something to do with taking our eyes off of Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and we choose to look instead to our circumstances. We forget the words of Paul in Romans 8:38-39.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:38-39

Nothing! Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen and Amen. Let me ask you this: What is the security blanket you are holding onto today? Whatever it is drop it, drop it like it’s hot, and receive the words of the angel, “Fear not.”

Stop holding onto fear and things that do not keep you perfectly secure. Our circumstances are temporary; our God is forever. He has our back. He gives us freedom from fear. He is all the security we will ever need. But we forget it just as Linus did after he finishes reciting the Bible, he picks the blanket back up. When you drop your fear and your false security, leave it, don’t return to it. The Good News is security enough.

I know there are people who are afraid for me when I travel. I appreciate that they love and care for me in this way but I have a favor to ask: Stop being afraid for us and pray for us. I always tell people to pray for us a Job 1:10 Prayer. In this verse we see that God has given Job a hedge of protection and blessed the work of his hands. Pray that for us as our team is in Guatemala. Together let us drop the blanket and take security in the Good News.

*You can find the original blog post HERE under the title “Just Drop the Blanket” which I read after writing this post and it is terrific. And just so you know, it’s dancing time…