The Beauty of Rejection

I know what you are thinking...how on earth is there beauty in rejection?

I have had my fair share of rejection....primarily from boys ( I would say men but that's giving them too much credit).  But people everywhere feel rejection from parents, friends, co-workers, loved ones, etc.  It hurts ALOT!  I have recently felt that emotion yet again and that's primarily why I am writing this post.  I gotta tell you, I'm a little over it and I am deciding to put and end to it.  I am not going to give the person that rejected me the power to change my perception of myself (fabulous by the way)!

Rejection is very humbling emotion.  I get upset because my pride and my ego get shattered not because some shmucko decided he wasn't interested.  You allow yourself to be vulnerable when you open yourself up to someone.  When they decide that they don't want you or don't like spending time with you, it makes you re-evaluate yourself.  It is a dangerous slope though, because you can easily get sucked in to the "no one wants me, no one loves me" mind-frame. I was upset and I cried to the Lord for understanding.  Why do I keep going through this kind of pain all the time?  How much longer can I stand it?  It isn't fair, blah blah blah.  My heart has been broken so many times that sometimes I wonder if hope leaks out through all the cracks.  

Psalm 34: 17-18

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,

And delivers them out of all their troubles.

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

And then I stop crying and as if my tears cleansed my mind, I start to see things more clearly. A complete sense of peace comes over me.  This is where the awakening happens and I hear God telling me 'Their approval should NEVER define your worth.  You have to choose to believe in yourself and the fabulous person you are.  I love you and I don't make mistakes, because you are "fearfully and wonderfully made"'

He has not forgotten about me.  He is actually saving me from myself.  When God shuts a door, He doesn't just open a window, He makes you move houses!   And the house I was living in was a little ratty and not good enough for me.  I am ready to receive what God has planned for me, not what I planned for myself.  He's never disappointed me before....why do I ever doubt Him?

God loves you.  That's all you need to get over rejection.

Today's Prayer
Lord Jesus, I pray for all of us who are hurting right now.  I pray for us who are currently experiencing rejection from a loved one or from anyone in our lives that have hurt us.  I pray that you heal our hearts and turn our wailing into dancing.  We know that You are good and that rejection is actually only bringing us closer to You.  For that, we thank You.  I pray that you free us from the hurts and allow us to open ourselves to Your love.  Thank You for the healing and making our brokenness beautiful. Amen.

The Yellow Brick Road

Have you ever meditated on the movie, "The Wizard of Oz"?  We all know how the movie ends because we have seen it a million times.  And yet, I feel like I am starring in my own version of the movie and I am Dorothy.  I don't know how my movie ends, but I guess I will find out.

Let's start from the beginning... I feel like sometimes my world (like Dorothy's Kansas house) is upside down.  Lately, it feels like there is no passion, no life, no "color".  I keep going through the motions every single day.  I wake up, go to work, come home, walk the dog, make dinner, maybe watch some TV/read a book, and then repeat, repeat, repeat.  Oh, and that's another thing, I have a dog and her name is Reese (not Toto).

Reese and I have our fun, but honestly, I am looking for something else.  I am looking for adventure, love, joy, eternal happiness.  I find that I am happy based on my circumstances and not just because I am genuinely happy all the time.  I want to find that eternal state of happiness and I want to live there.  Life is hard, but God is good.  Am I living somewhere in the middle of that?  I think I just landed somewhere (munchkinland, otherwise known as the DC metro area) and I need to find out my purpose here.

And therein lies the beginning of my journey on the "yellow brick road".  I am not fooled by my quest for more.  I know that on this journey to find eternal peace, joy, and happiness, there will be trials, there will be evil, there will be situations where the wicked witch (or Satan) will try and detract me from my ultimate destination to the emerald city (Heaven) but God through His Son Jesus Christ (Glenda the good witch) will guide my path and send me help along the way (the Lion, scarecrow, and tinman).  That's the goodness of God, He never leaves you to travel through life alone. Even Jesus had his disciples with Him.  Together, they were able to do amazing things!

So this is my yellow brick road.  It's just me and Reese and we are on this journey together.  I don't know what or who the future will bring, but I am excited to find out. Now if only I had a pair of awesome ruby slippers (or Christian Loubitans), then I can go on my merry way..haha.

Today's Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for your many blessings, for your unconditional love and mercy.  I pray for wisdom and strength as I start this new journey.  I am looking for so many different things but I don't know if these are the things I should be looking for or if you have other things to reveal to me.  Whatever it may be, I pray no matter what happens, you always help me find a way to the road that leads to you.  Not only for me Lord, but for all of us who are lost and need direction in life!  For you said "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

Happy Day Friends,
Vita