"LOSER"

When he was a little boy his uncle called him “Sparky”, after a comic-strip horse named Spark Plug. School was hard for "Sparky". In fact, he failed every subject in the eight grade.

"Sparky" flunked physics in high school and set a record by getting a grade of zero. He also flunked Latin, Algebra and English.

His record in sports wasn’t much better. Although he did manage to make the school’s golf team, he promptly lost the only important match of the season. Oh, there was a consolation match; he lost that too.

Throughout his youth, "Sparky" was awkward socially. It wasn’t that the other students disliked him, it’s just that no one really cared all that much to speak to him. In fact, "Sparky" was astonished if a classmate ever said hello to him outside of school hours.

There’s no way to tell how "Sparky" might have done at dating because never once asked a girl out in high school. He was too afraid of being turned down or even worse, laughed at.

"Sparky" was a loser. He, his classmates, his neighbors, just about everyone knew it. He resigned himself he would have to learned to live with it. He made up his mind in junior high school that if things were meant to work out, they would. Otherwise he would content himself with what appeared to be his inevitable mediocrity.

However, one thing was very, very important to "Sparky" — drawing. He was proud of his artwork. No one else appreciated it. But that didn’t seem to matter to him. In his senior year of high school, he submitted some cartoons to the yearbook. The editors rejected the concept. Despite this brush-off, Sparky was convinced of his ability. He even decided to become an artist.

So, after completing high school, "Sparky" wrote Walt Disney Studios. They asked for samples of his artwork. Despite careful preparation, it too was rejected. One more confirmation that he was a loser.

But "Sparky" still didn’t give up. Instead, he decided to tell his own life’s story in cartoons. The main character would be a little boy who symbolized the perpetual loser and chronic underachiever. You know him well because "Sparky’s" cartoon character went on to become a cultural phenomenon of sorts. People readily identified with this “lovable loser.” He reminded people of the painful and embarrassing moments from their own past, of their pain and their shared humanity.

"Sparky's" character soon became famous worldwide as “Charlie Brown" was loved on every continent. "Sparky", the boy whose many failures never kept him from trying, whose work was rejected again and again, is the highly successful cartoonist Charles Schultz. His cartoon strip, “Peanuts,” continues to inspire books, T-shirts and Christmas specials, reminding us, as someone once commented, that life somehow finds a way for all of us, even the losers to find our niche.

"Sparky’s" story reminds us of a very important principle in life. We all face failure, difficulty and discouragement from time to time. We always have a choice in how we handle it. We also have a choice if we hold fast to our faith in the Main Man upstairs. 

If we hold fast to our faith and we continue to develop the unique talents God has given us, we know success at any level is possible. God created each of us with our own special talents and abilities. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) (Ephesians 2:10)

One thing people do not realize about Charles Schultz is he was a dedicated Christian. Aside from his love of teaching Sunday School at multiple churches, Schultz also loved to convey his Christian beliefs through his "Peanuts" cartoon. Out of the 17,800 published "Peanuts" cartoon strips, roughly one in three contain a Biblical reference, scripture quote or religious message because Schultz knew God gave him the talent to draw, convey a message and use these gifts in God’s service. 

Our true purpose in life is to seek and do God’s will by using our gifts, talents and abilities He has given us. (1 Peter 4:10) By doing so, we may end up with an insight and an ability to inspire others that comes only through our very own hardship. Face it friends, some of us have had many more hardships and failures to hone our insight and purpose.

In the end, there are no “losers” with God. (1 John 5:4) Yes, some winners take longer to develop. Or as "Charlie Brown" liked to quip, "in the book of life, there aren't any answers in the back."

Father God, we are all Your children and we know You do not make any "losers" because we are made in Your image. Sin might give us imperfections but Your mercy, love and grace erases any faults and imperfections. Remind us "A Closer Walk With Thee" gives us the direction and confidence to be what You want us to be!