Flying Sleighs

Rudolph was weird. What made him unique also made him a social reject in the sight of all the normal-nosed reindeer. “What in the North Pole is wrong with his nose?” was the subject of much coffee-counter chatter in the polar region. Rudolph often found himself in tears over the rebuffing of his would-be friends. Was he really that useless? Was he really such a misfit? We all know the ending of this popular story: Santa needs a light to guide his sleigh in the bad Christmas weather and his creative problem solving skills lead him right to Rudolph and his distinctive shining nose. Suddenly Rudolph transforms from the village idiot to the heroic savior of Christmas Express and adults and children have found vicarious joy in this happy ending since 1939.

The misfit phenomenon abounds. Sometimes we feel like misfits because of our circumstances, and sometimes we feel like misfits because of our perceptions, but the truth is that no one wants to feel like a misfit. Misfits feel that they are misunderstood, that their skills, abilities and talents are not of much value- that they can’t ever quite find the right note in the choir of life. Misfits are easily demeaned and exploited by arrogant folk. Misfits are sad because we were all designed by God to desire harmony; disharmony robs our souls of purpose, life and joy. Rudolph is the obvious hero of this Christmas story, but there is a background hero that made it all possible, Santa. Too many leaders today are so self-focused on getting their sleigh to fly effectively that they forget that the solutions to most of their sleigh problems are sitting right in their flocks, their unique talents all aglow, waiting to be discovered. Sadly, Rudolphs are overlooked, the sleigh crashes and burns, the mission fails and leaders don’t understand why. Let’s take a lesson from wise old Santa and remember that jolly old souls are the ones that know sleighs don’t fly by themselves; it takes a team effort, misfits and all!

Sources:

Mays, Robert L. 1939 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

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