It’s Not Rejection, It’s Redirection
I will never forget my first experience of rejection. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was about 10 years old and lined up in the school yard for our PE lesson. I was never one of the natural athletes at school, but I had lots of friends, so when Miss called out the names of the two major players, who would be team captains, I had no dount that one of them would choose me. No, I wasn’t sporty, but they were my friends, one of them would choose me for their team, of course they would……As said, I will never forget that feeling of rejection, when every name had been called out, both teams were just about full, and I was still standing facing them….none of them had picked me for their team. My friends had rejected me.
It took all my inner strength not to cry, not to show how hurt I was, and throw myself into the game. I did happen to be on the winning team, and was even congratulated by Miss for being “an asset” to the team’s performance and ultimate win. I was the first name called out, when were lined up again for our next PE lesson the following week. I played netball every week after that, right up until leaving primary school and moving onto secondary. Always one of the first names to be called, and on the winning team for the majority of the games played. It’s funny, it’s in that very school I first encountered Joseph. The school drama play was called Joseph and His Technicolour Dream Coat, and being such a budding little actress, I was chosen to play that part of Joseph himself. I was delighted. I loved the story, the songs we sang, the costumes, but most of all, loved the outcome of Joseph’s journey. Joseph’s rise to being the second most important person in all of Egypt. After being rejected by his brothers, God chose to redirect Joseph’s life completely.
Rejection can cause us to feel deep pain, complete loneliness, total shame, immense anxiety, great sadness, intense anger. It can leave us emotionally drained with low self esteem and isolate us from family and friends. Or maybe it’s those same family and friends that have caused us to feel rejected, now feeling lost and hopeless….But in this time of fasting, rejoice!! Know we serve the same God of Joseph. The same God who does not sleep nor slumber. He same God that will never leave us nor forsake us. The same God who has plans for us to prosper and come to no harm. The same God who will elevate us in the presence of all those who rejected us. The same God who will give us Hope and the same God who will give us Peace. The same God who is calling us to follow Him. To submit our will to His. To lay our burden, our pain and our rejection at His feet.
So do so, call out to Him and allow Him to direct your path, in the knowledge that whatever your circumstance or situation, it is not rejection, it’s redirection!
God Bless You