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Lyman was born in 1856, just outside of Syracuse, New York to a wealthy German family. He was a frail, sickly child, and he would often faint when feeling emotionally stressed. When he was 12 years old, he was sent off to a military academy, which he hated. For two years he dreamed of returning home.
In fact, Lyman was known as a daydreamer, always with his mind somewhere else. He was constantly chasing the “next big thing."
When Lyman was 26, he married Maud. Maud’s mother warned her that Lyman was a “flake” who may not amount to much. But Maud was drawn to his vivid imagination.
Unfortunately, after they were married, a string of unsuccessful jobs left them teetering on financial ruin, and this would prove to be a lifelong pattern with Lyman. He spent time as a postage-stamp dealer, a chicken breeder, and the business manager for a baseball team, yet he failed at each of those. He later took a job as a traveling salesman, peddling fine china and glassware. That didn’t last long. He got involved in a local theatre and even dabbled as a playwright, but the theatre fell upon hard times and closed. Seeking new opportunities, Lyman moved his family to the Dakota Territory (modern day South Dakota). There he opened a small retail store that sold knick-knacks from Japan and glassware made by Native Americans. That venture soon went bankrupt, and he took a job as the editor of the local newspaper. Lyman became embroiled in a local controversy when he wrote that the only way to ensure safety for American settlers was the genocide of the Sioux Indians. So he moved his family to Chicago, where he became a freelance writer.
It was there that his mother-in-law watched Lyman captivating his kids by telling enthralling and enchanting stories about imaginary, far away places. She suggested that he write a children’s book.
At the age of 41, Lyman published an illustrated book for Children, Mother Goose in Prose, and it proved to be a success. Two years later, in 1899, he followed-up with a story entitled Father Goose: His Book, which sold fairly well. But money was still tight when Lyman decided to write a novel for children. While seeking inspiration, Lyman remembered a newspaper article he had read years earlier. It was the haunting true story of a deadly tornado that destroyed a small Kansas town. He was deeply impacted by the gruesome reference to a young girl who was found buried face down in a massive mud puddle. Her name was Dorothy Gale.
He wrote of an imaginary land full of memorable characters, including a young woman named after the tornado victim. He needed a name for this magical wonderland. As he sat in his office, he noticed the label on his filing cabinet, which had two drawers. The top drawer was labeled A-N, and the bottom drawer was labeled O-Z. He named the enchanted land “Oz,” and soon the world was blessed with the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The book was published under his middle name – Frank. Frank Baum. He had finally found success. Two years later he even collaborated on a stage version of the book, and it ran on Broadway for two years and toured the country for eleven. Interestingly, the theatrical version differed considerably from the book (even to the extend that, in the play, the dog Toto was replaced by a cow.)
Frank Baum wrote 13 sequels to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with each new book coming out in time for Christmas.
With the financial windfall, he started his own movie studio, but it eventually went broke, and Frank Baum had to declare bankruptcy. As part of the bankruptcy settlement, he had to forfeit the royalties from the future sales of all of his books. His wife, Maud, took up sewing as a way to keep the family financially afloat.
In 1919, nine days before his 63rd birthday, Frank Baum suffered a stroke, fell into a coma, and died the next day. The series of Oz books continued after his death, with several different authors writing the sequels. He didn’t live long enough to see the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, which would further cement his legacy in the literary world.
The story teaches us a lot about truth. The main characters are off to see the wizard – the one they think will provide the scarecrow with a brain, the tin man with a heart, and the lion with courage. Dorothy also seeks to return home. But when they finally arrive in Oz, they discover that the wizard is a fraud. He is merely a man hiding behind a curtain. He is unable to fulfill their wishes, and merely gifts each with a simple item to confirm that they already have the qualities they sought. As it turns out, they weren’t lacking those things that they were seeking.
Scripture tells us that, as believers in Jesus, we have been given everything we need to live Godly lives. 2 Peter 1:3 assures us that “We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God's own power, when we learned he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness.”
We have been equipped by God to stand up to sin, combat spiritual weakness, and overcome temptation. But this didn't happen naturally. We weren't born with it. We didn't earn it through hard work or good behavior. Rather, believers have had this all along – ever since they said “Yes” to God’s offer of salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life.
Peter's declaration is simple: In terms of living spiritual lives that honor and glorify God, we're not missing anything. We are fully equipped. But we have a choice about whether or not we'll really use those spiritual tools.
We may not have the roadmap to navigate the yellow brick road, but we have been equipped to progress on that highway to heaven.
Friends, I am proud to be your Pastor, and I look forward to worshiping with you this week. Until then, know that you are loved.
Joe
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