Many of us think fondly of that dismal, old grey donkey Eeyore in the Winnie-the-Pooh children's books by A.A. Milne. While lovable and secretly goodhearted, he is usually gloomy and negative, always expecting the worst.

During my twenty-five years as a pastor, I've met many people like that. They never accept responsibility because they're certain they'll fail. Or, they serve "faithfully" in the church, but gloomily imagine critics in every pew and corner.

Picture for a moment the person who "never receives enough attention," never initiates friendships, and assumes the church is really run by an inner circle where he or she will never be welcomed. Would you agree that person often sounds like Eeyore in this conversation with Rabbit?

"Nobody tells me," said Eeyore, "nobody keeps me Informed. I make it seventeen days come Friday since anybody spoke to me."

"It certainly isn't seventeen days--"

"Come Friday," explained Eeyore.

"And today's Saturday," said Rabbit. "So that would make it eleven days. And I was here myself a week ago."

"Not conversing," said Eeyore. "Not first one and then the other. You said 'Hallo' and Flashed Past. I saw your tail in the distance as I was meditating my reply. I had thought of saying 'What?'--but, of course, it was then too late."

"Well, I was in a hurry."

"No Give and Take," Eeyore went on. "No Exchange of Thought: 'Hallo--What'--I mean, it gets you nowhere, particularly if the other person's tail is only in sight for the second half of the conversation."

"It's your fault, Eeyore. You've never been to see any of us. You just stay here in this corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. Why don't you go to them sometimes?"

Eeyore was silent for a little while, thinking. "There may be something in what you say, Rabbit," he said at last. "I must move more. I must come and go."

"That's right, Eeyore. Drop in on any of us at any time, when you feel like it."

"Thank-you, Rabbit. And if anybody says in a Loud Voice, 'Bother, it's Eeyore,' I can drop out again."

We've all known other Eeyores. But as I chuckled over this conversation, another thought stabbed me. How much like Eeyore am I? How often to I expect the worst?

Do I anticipate defeat? Do I let that Eeyore-ish gloom dominate my spiritual life or my expectations of my family? Am I prone to suspect there's a hidden conspiracy in the church to "do things" without me?

In my little corner of God's forest, have I forgotten Paul's prayer? "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

How can I tolerate gloomy expectations when my Lord is Jesus, the God of creation? When my family is in his faithful care? When my church is his church, under his sovereign direction? And when every Eeyore I know in God's congregation is his Eeyore--including me!