“Charlie Bucket was the luckiest boy in the entire world. He just didn’t know it yet.” Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (movie, 2005)

It defies logic.  It lingers beyond reason.  When everyone else had hundreds of opportunities, he had hardly any.  They bought their way to the winner’s circle. He stumbled upon the entrance fee.  They expected to win. He was in awe of the opportunity to try.  In a world where only the strong were expected to survive, the weakest stood as victor.

Am I overthinking a children’s story? Possibly.

How did Charlie win?  Augustus’ mom gave him all of the candy that he wanted because it made him “happy.”  Veruca’s daddy gave her everything she desired.  Violet thought that life was about winning.  Mike thought that the world was supposed to entertain him. When they found their tickets, they were proud, demanding, expectant.

Charlie had the least of everything.  His parents skipped meals so that he could eat. He was cold.  His life was hard.  But he learned that good things were gifts, not rights. Opportunities were blessings, not entitlements.  He learned that life was not about getting, it was about BEING.  Being kind, compassionate, sincere, appreciative. His fear, pain, and discomfort taught him the lessons he needed to win the race.  What appeared to be disadvantages made him the luckiest boy in the entire world.  He just didn’t know it yet.

Life is full of paradoxes.  Our struggle to be comfortable makes us miserable.  The more we have, the less satisfied we become.  The greatest joy often follows the deepest pain. And the weakest become the greatest.

I have seen this at work in my own life.  Teen pregnancy brought my amazing son.  Loss of my father brought me closer to my Heavenly Father.  My deepest depression ended with a greater marriage and new direction.  The list could continue.

If you find yourself struggling with fear, pain, or discomfort, hold on.  You will reach the end, and when you do, you may find that you are the luckiest person in the world. You just don’t know it yet.

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:16