Remember the Island of Misfit Toys?

In the classic children’s Christmas special, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Rudolph and his pals find themselves in a snowy land ringed by icy mountain peaks. An unlikely sentry halts the progress of this ragtag bunch--Rudolph, with his glowing orb, Yukon Cornelius, a prospector who’s never found gold, and Hermie, an elf who hates making toys and wants to be a dentist.

“Where are we?” Rudolph asks the Jack-in-the-box, whose name is Charlie.

“You’re on the Island of Misfit Toys,” he says, and explains the mission of the lord of the land, King Moonraiser: “Every night he searches the whole earth, and when he finds a misfit toy, one that no little girl or boy loves, he brings it here to live on this island ‘till someone loves it.”

“We’re all misfits, too” Rudolph exclaims. “Maybe we can live here for a while.”

Like the choo choo with square wheels, the water pistol that squirts jelly, and the bird that swims, I’ve sometimes felt like a misfit.

Affectionately called “String Bean” growing up, I enjoyed books more than television, was terrible at sports, and had a complexion that rivaled the oil wells in Texas. A 1,000-mile move when I was 15 gave me the opportunity to recast myself, but even then the unkind words of my adolescent peers lingered in my memory. I seldom felt pretty enough, smart enough, or talented enough.

I’m thankful that in God’s world, it’s different. God doesn’t care if we’re beautiful, tall, or thin.

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (I Sam 16:7).

He doesn’t care if we’re intelligent, educated, or polished.

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” (1 Cor. 1:27)

He doesn’t care if we’re strong physically, emotionally, or socially.

“God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor. 1:27).

He doesn’t care if we’re in the upper class, have a white collar job, or boast an impressive title.

“He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-- and the things that are not-- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” (1 Cor. 1:28-29)

Like big-hearted King Moonraiser, God searches the whole earth until he finds a misfit person, one that the world doesn’t love, and he brings her to his kingdom to teach her what it means to be truly loved.

“Brothers,” Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:26, “think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. . .”

And then, when we are thoroughly convinced of his love, he sends us back out to search for other misfits, bring them into the kingdom, and introduce them to the kindhearted King.

“And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Cor. 5:1-20).

Are you feeling like a misfit today? I challenge you to stop believing the world’s lies and claim the truth of Isaiah 43:4: “You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you. . .”  

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