The Most SIncere Pumpkin Patch

Well, it is that time of year again... that time when our faith is truly tested by the coming of the "Great Pumpkin". Yes.. each year Linus engages us to participate in waiting for the unknown, to have faith in what is unseen, but believed. To have positive thoughts about the future of said miracle....he is waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive and with him we are awaiting our own miracles, the very answers to our prayers.

Let's revisit the story...We open with the romanticism of vivid autumn hues, exciting Peanuts speak-ease of upcoming, "Tricks or Treats", and... falling leaves...we can hear them romantically falling to the ground accompanied by Charles Schultz's music, (a very powerful image). This, in itself, invokes the feeling that something miraculous and sacred may happen here. The actuality of the miracle is in the enjoying what God has set forth here and now, and not desiring more than what we currently have. God is bringing us our desires/miracles. They arrive daily and in many ways. If we don't stop and look we may miss our moment of bliss. We may spend the night in the cold waiting for something that has already been delivered.."sincerely"... I might add!

We have Linus, our protagonist, our philosopher, spiritualist, do-gooder, quoter of Luke's Gospel, daydreamer and just plain dreamer... writing and really "praying" for his miracle this Halloween night..his miracle is to await the advent of the Great Pumpkin...and what he is awaiting in terms of gifts,(answers), is "precisely what the Great Pumpkin has earmarked for him." nothing... he is missing his lifeworshipping an idol... his OWN DESIRE and not that of God's. This is great faith for sure! yeah right. It is however, great faith to know that our maker knows exactly what we may want/need without us having to "look in ourselves" to what WE THINK we may want/need. Here's the problem...Linus in needing to do all the right things...questioning the sincerity of his patch, his thoughts, his intentions, is in fact MISSING OUT on his miracle. His happiness is upon him and yet he chooses again to wait.

THIS will be the year; Linus is sure! (again, this time). Of course he is sure... because he is Linus afterall?? Now, mind you here...the Great Pumpkin only comes to those that are "belief-filled, faith-inspired and believe truly in his coming." For the right and just! Not for the "mindless trick-or-treater". Not for the person who is "living in the moment"..but for the one who puts off his very miracle by waiting in a closed-off patch, doing nothing but acting sincere. Is that true positive willing? LOA, (law of attraction)?, and/or, in Christianity...Faith? If Linus is SOOO sure about his move why then does he need that big, blue blanket?

Here is the catch...the Great Pumpkin will only appear to the "most sincere pumpkin patch"...(in Linus' meek understanding of how miracles are delivered. Linus takes us all on a quest, and this particular year with young Sally Brown, journeying inside whether we can withstand our own fears and doubts when it comes to something we desire/need very much. Are we in fact sincere about the "real outcome?" OR, "Is it our short-sighted outcome?" OR, " could this be a grand miracle awaiting us that comes from a force much greater than us?" Do we have doubts? (even secretly). Do our fears paralyze this manifestation? Can we possible just go out trick or treating and let this good and great thing COME TO US?? YES! (This is Lucy's advice right along).

All of the characters in this story have a need and desired outcome. (As we all do!) Linus, we know awaits his faith to be healed by the actual visitation of the GP. He just wants to know that he is right about all of this. He is VERY CAUTIOUS about whom he shares this dream to. He is fearful that no one will understand, or better yet ridicule him... (in his defense I perhaps can see why.) Also- let's look at his "Patch Partner", the one he chooses to spend the night with..Sally. Does he only confide in Sally because he knows that Sally is desperately in love with him? Has a motive?? Maybe. She makes it no secret that her affection for Linus is strong and unshakable. (or is it really?) Sally's motives are perhaps not in believing that the GP will rise... but for her affection/needs to be returned from the man she wants..so why not do something so sincere as to spend a cold and scary night with her desire..even if it means "missing tricks or treats"..ahh sacrifice...junker or a boy?? What would have happened if she went out and enjoyed her night without Linus?

Then we have Lucy. (My alter-ego). The pessimist du jour. ( actually, I prefer realist.) You almost wonder if she does all that she does to protect her brother and friends from their very insecurities.. her approach is bad, however. She sets up Charlie Brown in scene one to finally kick that football. He is insistent that she will do, as she has always done before. And she does. He is LOA'ing his "need" to forever miss that ball..he is willing his failure. He seemingly enjoys failure. He knows damn-right well that he has made a deal with Lucy in the knowledge to try this again knowing that his own desire to fail will be met. Lucy, is perfectly willing to set-up the "kick-off" again and show that he is in fact not ready for bigger and better things, (ie...Violet's Halloween Party), until he can get a grip and start owning his stuff! Believe in what he wants. Live in the moment!
Lucy.. well, albeit, crabby, and "know-it-all", constantly dispensing her "Lucy-esque" counseling whether you want it or not, for a bargain rate of 5cents.. does have a soft edge we rarely see in the public eye. She begrudgingly, very much against her better judgment, "tricks or treats" on behalf of Linus...who is still holding out for his GP to manifest. She loathes and respects Linus all at the same time for his noble attempt at expecting this to happen each year. Lucy will get up at 4am and dress to go retrieve her young brother from a freezing pumpkin patch and place him into his bed. (always leaving us to wonder about the whereabouts of their parents.) Lucy secretly harbors a longing for her long-haired, musician friend, Schroeder. ( Oh yes...A girl after my own heart.) Although the artist types rarely are motivated by such strong-willed gals such as Lucy...(they prefer more dramatic girls in crisis to inspire their creativity). Lucy can't get around that thought though.. she wants him anyway.. that would be her miracle. Charlie Brown and she would probably fare much better if the truth be known, as he desperately needs someone to push him into taking life by the... well..bootstraps... and she needs to advise. (For some reason Peppermint Patty reportedly "in love" with Chuck in my opinion is far pushier to CB than Lucy..and perhaps this makes her character a bit more disingenuous to me..)

Lucy is a bit co-dependent. Lucy is guilty of not allowing others, including herself, to experience their own failures or success' on their own. We all possess a bit of this. She is too protective and perhaps the least in belief of some "higher force". Perhaps if Linus was left without the knowledge of truly losing his Halloween loot and spending this special eve freezing his butt off, he may come to realize that he is willing something to happen that is more about his own neurosis than what a higher being wants for him.

But truly, we all must look to the real hero here...Snoopy. The only one "getting it." The only one pursuing the "life in the moment" philosophy, is our canine friend.. Snoopy truly and vehemently lives in the moment. He needs to be our hero!!! He is the MOST SINCERE. Our World War I Flying Ace lives the life authentically. He dresses for the night. He rides out the ups and downs trying to avoid the firing from the infamous Red Baron. (normal life baggage).
As the Fighter-Dog plane is hit, Snoopy bravely salutes and goes down with his ship. He owns his crap. (excuse the phrase). He faces his fate. He walks thru the enemy French country-side, swims thru rivers during the darkness, all the while never giving up crawling his way to safety. To what is intended for him! He trusts and does what is best in the moment to get himself to the next storyline..even if that is too kiss Lucy at the Halloween party! But he does it. He then saddles up for a night of music with Schroeder and calls it a night. He knows his limits and knows that if more is to come that he must trust what will be placed before him next. Faith??
yes. faith.
We need to stop our needless worrying and perfectionism and embrace the imperfect... own our stuff and embrace the ups and downs that life delivers. We alos need to know when we are safe, expecting our mracle..and rejoice by dancing afterwards. That is truly when will see the manifestation of the GP...that in fact is the most sincere pumpkin patch of all.
Alas, then, we will know the Great Pumpkin/God shows and never lets us down!
Happy Halloween!
Miss Dawn, Director of EDS and CF Emmanuel Church, Newport