No one likes to hear “Sorry, that’s just not what we’re looking for”, OR “Maybe some other time” OR that two-letter word that has the potential at times to be devastating depending upon the context in which it is used . . .“No”. Yet at some point over the course of our lives if we have not heard them, we will. However, it is how we accept them, and more importantly how we process them that makes all the difference.

The feeling and experience of rejection has affected people in such debilitating ways that it has literally defined the path and course of their lives. It is something that is painful to see when it happens to others, and even more painful when we are on the receiving end. Yet, if we allow ourselves to learn and grow from the hurt of rejection, it could be one of the best experiences in life. If we allow ourselves to objectively look at the situation and, also place God in the equation, we can better understand that nothing happens by accident. God has a specific plan for our lives that was established even before we entered the world! I know that may be difficult for some to fathom, yet it is very true. God actually has a purpose and a plan for everything and everyone He created. When we don’t fully grasp that principle, it is easy to be overcome by rejection. It is at those times that we question our value and worth as a human being. We diminish and downgrade our abilities, talents, and skills. Questions such as what contribution are we making to society arise causing us to compare ourselves to others, their successes and achievements. We can even question whether we are loveable!

During those sometimes unbearable occurrences when rejection transpires, if you can just muster up enough strength and broaden your horizons to look at the situation from another perspective, the outcome will always work in your favor. As previously mentioned, nothing happens in your life by accident. Therefore, if you can consider maybe that job opportunity or promotion was not the best move for you in the long run. Maybe that home you wanted but the loan was denied was eventually going to be a “money pit” instead of a “mansion”. There is truth to the cliché, “everything that glitters is not gold”! Maybe from the outside looking in, that particular opportunity looks like it holds great promise and is indeed better than the situation you are presently in. But God knows our beginning from our end better than anyone else. Could it be that He has something much greater in mind, but you just need to hold on a little while longer. Maybe you are tired of the single life, and everywhere you turn you see couples holding hands, and mothers pushing strollers. Will this ever happen for you? So, you find yourself “searching” for SOMEBODY, ANYBODY that can fill that void! You are attempting to create a solution to a problem that may not be what God intended. The bible says that God is the mender of the broken heart, but it also states that we should trust in the Lord with all our heart, and lean not to our own understanding. In short, that means . . . the Lord knows best for us and always has the greater plan. He will NEVER withhold any truly good thing from you.

Is it possible to consider that one of the purposes for rejection is to see that there is always another opportunity that is right around the corner? Oftentimes rejection is falsely interpreted as THE END! Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, it signals the possibilities of other open doors and windows of greater opportunity just waiting for YOU to explore.

I shudder at people who are in the place of authority, or in position to determine the comfort, success, and potential of others who deliver their judgements and answers to requests with such callousness. It is sometimes the words that are not spoken that are hidden behind the delivery and the decisions made. What you don’t hear, but what you truly feel from those persons are “I’m in control here, and this what I determine will or will not happen”. But if you can just push past the sting of the rejection and push the door open to that next opportunity, what’s best is waiting for you! You have something to offer and those who fail to recognize it, miss out on a very special gift — YOU!

“A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.”
Proverbs 18: 16 (NKJV)

Source: First Lady Denise