In the Face of Rejection

     I dance the dance of evasion with everyone I know. Sometimes toes get stepped on, feelings hurt, but it's a cost I have always been willing to pay. I reason that they are casualties of the dance, which must be performed. Dancing distracts. When others concentrate on their footwork, they aren't concerned with my tendency to pull away. Under the guise of guarding my heart, I avoid close relationships, unwilling to risk  potential pain.

     Though greatly improved, still I wrestle with an inner barrier so long in place that I can't remember life without it. What am I avoiding? Rejection


     Passed over. Stared through. Unrecognized. Unappreciated. Unwanted. Rejected. It stings, doesn't it? Not really like a bee stings, but more like the unrelenting sting of an angry wasp. Repeatedly and unmercifully, the pain of rejection lingers long after the initial poke, setting off an internal churning that is difficult to soothe. Even ego stroking from loved ones fall short of rebuilding your esteem.


     It is in personally experiencing the deep wounds of rejection that we identify with Christ, denied by humanity while devoting Himself to the good of mankind. He came to serve those who would ultimately betray Him, but He never held their mistakes against them. Christ prayed for them while they were killing Him.  I want to handle rejection like He did, to serve those who turn me down.


     God is always aware of the feelings you experience, as He compassionately guides you in the path you were meant to follow. It's  challenging to remember that a path change, though sometimes painful, leads you into God's best plan for your life.


      I wrestle with tearing down the walls preventing me from sharing much of myself with others. Those walls will come down as I rely on His acceptance of me, and trust Him in my relationships with others. I will strive to offer the same grace He offers mankind, because through that grace, others will see Him.


     I want to dance in the face of rejection.


     How do you handle rejection?