Friends: My wife Pam had a few thoughts about “fitting in” for the students at our school. To wit, we can always fit in with Jesus.  Blessings, Bob

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Spirituality Column #963

April 29, 2025                                    

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

His Name is Jesus

By Pam Walters

“We are strangers in a foreign land.” – Exodus 22:21

All right … this is Bob, but the following is a Mission Christian Academy chapel address my wife Pam delivered last Thursday. It is well worth sharing, so it is her byline.

We both teach high school at MCA – she’s English, and I’m history – and all 400 spirited students, grades K-12, were packed in the gym for our monthly chapel.

Pam (“Mrs. Walters” to the students) opened with having been a third-grade misfit, and spoke of a “misfit” label that accompanied her through high school and on into her teaching profession. Early in life, several times she was the “new kid” in school, was always the tallest girl, as a seventh grader was the only girl both in shop class and in the high school band drumline, and as a “nerdy” “preacher’s kid” often had to forego school social events.  But she met Jesus in third grade.

In what was otherwise a raucous and rollicking MCA youth worship service, 400 boisterous students sat in shockingly attentive silence listening to her story unfold.

Here is what Pam had to say.

         At various points in my life, I have been a misfit.  One of those people who just didn’t fit in, just didn’t seem to belong. My earliest recollection of this was third grade.  At that time, I attended a one-room school house.  There were about 40 of us in kindergarten through eighth grade in one room with one teacher, so when it came to math and reading, we were sorted according to ability.  I loved to read, so I was in a reading group with the seventh and eighth graders.  They didn’t want me in their group, and the other third graders resented my placement.  I was a misfit.

         At the time I entered seventh grade, my dad who was a pastor took a different church so we had moved to a small town in northern Michigan.  Evaluations by the band director had determined that I was good with rhythm, so I soon found myself in the high school marching band.  Talk about being a misfit: I was an incredibly shy 7^th grader, a new student, and the only girl in a drum section made up of eight high school boys.

That same year I was the only girl in the wood shop class, and to top it all off, I was growing.  Between the beginning of 7^th grade and the end of 7^th grade, I grew four inches.  My clothes never fit right. I had to wear ugly shoes to correct my fallen arches from too much jumping rope. I needed braces and I had this mop of wildly curly blond hair that was out of control.  You talk about a misfit.

         We moved again, so being the new kid started all over in eighth grade.  By the time I was a freshman, I was six feet tall, without question the tallest girl in the school and taller than most of the boys.  I heard every “tall” joke ever written. 

In freshmen English that year we read Romeo and Juliet.  I absolutely loved it.  I read it over and over.  Then came the day when our teacher announced that we would be going to the movie theater to see a just-released production of the play.  I was not allowed to go to movies, so when the entire freshman class went out for lunch and to the movie, I sat alone in the library at school.  I didn’t belong.

         When I became an adult and took my first teaching position in 1978, I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t quite fit.  I was ostracized by many because I chose not to join the teachers’ union.  When they learned I was a “church girl” I was never invited to social events and parties.  There were days when I felt very alone.

         By now, you are probably feeling pretty sorry for me.  You probably think that I was a sad, lonely, and lost individual.  But I wasn’t.  Because when I was eight years old, I met Jesus.

Over the years as I grew in my knowledge and understanding of Him, I realized that Jesus was a misfit too.  I imagine that his parents were often perplexed by their son.  Can you imagine being the brother or sister of this kid who NEVER messed up, was perfect in every way?  When he grew older, his home town of Nazareth didn’t want Him.  The religious leaders of the day wanted Him dead, and in the end, all of His closest friends abandoned Him.  He just didn’t belong.

Jesus was known for associating with misfits.  His band of disciples was an odd and motley crew. The book of Luke records his time spent with various outcasts: the leper whom no one would touch – but Jesus did. The paralytic whom all had given up on – but not Jesus.  The tax collector whom everyone avoided and was despised – but Jesus didn’t. The sinful woman who poured oil on His feet but who was cast out of society – but not cast away from Jesus.

Working too hard at “being seen” can be a problem as that pursuit can become an idol.  An idol is anything more important to you than God, and while there is often nothing wrong with our hopes and desires, when we believe achieving them will bring us happiness, we are headed down the wrong path.

Remember the tower of Babel? Those people wanted to make a name for themselves, not bring glory to God.  Sometimes we want to build our own tower to make a name for ourselves.  We want others to see us as worthy of attention and not a nobody who is invisible. We want others to recognize and know us, but only God can truly know us and see us.

Psalm 139 says:

13 You created every part of me;

         You put me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because you are to be feared;

         all you do is strange and wonderful.

         I know it with all my heart.

15 When my bones were being formed,

         carefully put together in my mother’s womb,

         when I was growing there in secret,

         you know that I was there –

16 you saw me before I was born.

You may at times feel like a misfit, fell like you don’t belong, but remember that misfits are fit for the kingdom of God.  We are called strangers in a foreign land (Exodus 22:21), a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9), called to be set apart (Hebrews 1-:10, no longer conforming to this world (Romans 12:2), but to Christ, the king of glory.

So do not fix your eyes on what is seen (2 Corinthians 4:18), on the things of this world, or on the things this world believes are important, but fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).

When you feel invisible, keep you eyes on the Invisible One.

When ever you feel like you don’t belong, remember the One to whom you do belong.  His name is Jesus.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) is happy to pass along your comments to Pam.  And seriously, it was jaw-dropping how inspiringly quiet ALL the kids were, K-12.  Then … thunderous applause. FYI, the MCA website is MissionChristianAcademy.com, Fishers, Indiana USA.