Pooh-isms 101

Yes, we can learn a thing or two from Winnie the Pooh. And yes, that sentence rhymed (“two”, “Pooh”).

I have long enjoyed an occasional one-liner from this silly ole’ bear, and as we sat through the latest Pooh film yesterday (entitled Christopher Robin), I found myself recalling some of my favorite pearls of wisdom that this make-believe teddy bear has shared either in movies or books.

And yes, there is something to gain from Pooh’s below remarks?

• “Love is taking a few steps backward maybe even more…to give way to the happiness of the person you love.” Sounds a little like I Corinthians 13, if you ask me. Love is selfless. Love is seeking the good for others. Love is downplaying yourself and elevating someone else. Or as Pooh said, love is making others happy!

• “One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries.” While I cannot relate to the reality of being disorganized, I totally get this one!

• “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” Doesn’t this remind us of the virtue of patience? Our culture is a hurry-up-and-get-it-done culture. We expect next-day shopping with our Amazon Prime accounts; we want our dinner ready for us by the time we pull up to the 2^nd window at McDonalds; we want to our hearts and everyone’s else’s hearts to change tomorrow. Things take time. In fact, as another extra-biblical proverb goes, “Good things come to those who wait.”

• “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” Seeing children smile because they are happy to see you or you made them laugh is an example of this Pooh-ism. I can live a while off a good hug or kiss from my wife in the morning. I have never thought to myself, “If I had the world, I would be happy.” We shouldn’t need much to give us joy.

• “The things that make me different are the things that make me.” Thank goodness there are no 2 people alike in this world. God’s creativity is endless in that He made every single person of the billions He has created both in His image (Genesis 1:28) and unique. Who can do that? God!

• “Think it over, think it under.” We usually create messes because our thinking is sloppy or lazy. We are quick to speak and slow to listen. We usually create messes because we don’t seek counsel from those wiser than others. We must remember we are finite beings who need more help than we want to admit. Think longer than you believe is necessary before making that next decision.

• “You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you have to go to them sometimes.” Imagine if Jesus decided that when He began ministering He would wait for people to come to Him to be saved. Imagine if he built a home in northern Galilee and sent a proclamation throughout the land for people to come and visit and hear the good news. Who would label Him as compassionate? No one.

You got any favorite Pooh quotes?