No Thing Like Me

A few years ago, The Guardians of the Galaxy was an obscure group of interstellar superheroes no one really knew about. But thanks to some incredibly smart casting and story tone choices by Marvel, the adventures of these rag tag misfits turned team mates became a huge hit and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. I mention the casting and tone of the movies because they were important in establishing the widest audience base possible, but it was more than big name Hollywood actors and cute jokes that drew millions to care about these characters. Every single one of us desperately craves to fit in, and the movies succeeded in telling us how to deal with being labeled "different". All of us have felt rejected at some point in our lives. Starting at a new school or job can mean major anxiety when you already feel like an outcast. None of the Guardians exemplify this more than the genetically modified expert tactician, pilot and heavy arms aficionado, Rocket Raccoon. Though he may look like your average trash-digging rodent, Rocket possesses incredible intellect and leadership skills. Thanks to extensive genetic experimentation at the hands of those running one of the first prisons he managed to escape from, Rocket has been dealing with "different" his entire life. It's nearly impossible to look at him and not underestimate him. If you'd never seen him before, you'd never choose him to join your team, let alone lead it.

While there are, unfortunately, no direct references to raccoons in the Bible, there is a story of someone who was small, unsuspecting and almost overlooked that went from different to dignified just like Rocket. Back in Old Testament times, God told the first prophet of Israel, Samuel, to find a king to lead His people. Of course Samuel had a very specific picture of who he was looking for. He found a guy named Jesse who had several sons that seemed to fit the bill. All of them were tall and strapping young men that looked ready to lead at first glance. But what did God think? 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us He said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” The world loves to label. They look at the cover and judge what kind of book it is. If it was up to Samuel, Israel never would have had David for a king. The giant slayer and original singer/songwriter himself, was almost passed over. God makes us the way we are for a reason. God gives us different interests, quirks and attributes for the exact purpose of not fitting in with everyone else. You are a unique creation put here on earth to leave an impression on those around you. When you embrace the purpose we have through Christ's victory over the cross, our "different" becomes a tool to focus our mission of reaching the lost and the lonely. Rocket often tells people that "there ain't no thing like me, except me". This is the truth. The sooner you realize this is a good thing designed by God, the sooner you'll find not just those willing to accept you for who you are, but you'll be a part of a team---the strongest one in the galaxy, different on purpose.