First, the bad news:

Heffalumps and Woozles are real. I’m re-reading a little book called The Epic by John Eldredge. I love his description of the way we live in The Greatest Story Ever Told. The One True Story. He also talks about how shocking and dangerous it is to live in this story as if evil doesn’t exist.

If we think Haffalumps and Woozles are just pretend, we won’t be on the watch for them. We won’t notice when they are dancing all around us like they did in Pooh’s dream. And, we may start dancing with them and not even notice we have wandered from the safety of the Hundred Acre Wood.

Now the Good News:

Friendship is real, too. And loyalty, faithfulness, bravery, kindness. These all exist in our story, and they are strong allies in the battle against evil. Winnie the Pooh and his friends show us these truths, all under the umbrella of sweet Christopher Robin.

You may worry, Dear Reader, that our story doesn’t have a little boy with rain boots splashing to our aide. But, you would be missing the best part of our story. Because, “In the beginning was the Word.” And He is better, stronger, kinder, and more loyal that anyone could ever imagine.

His name is Jesus in our world. And He is the best possible news.

Happy Winnie the Pooh Day to you.