It often starts in childhood, for some reason you don't understand, you are rejected by others. In the kindergarten you play alone, the neighbors exclude you and at home your siblings are preferred. And the older you get, the lonelier you become. You try to fit in and put your own interests aside in order to fit in. And you are suppressing a valuable part of your own personality. And at the same time you notice that you are still being rejected. If your life has been shaped like this, you are either depressed and withdraw more and more from people, or you are almost always angry and constantly looking for confrontation. Verbally and maybe physically.
Since you are practically denied social contacts due to the exclusion, the development of your social skills also suffers.
And then the day comes when you perceive the call of God in your heart and you make the decision to walk your future life with HIM. Now you are full of hope that you are finally in a community and will belong to it. After all, everyone around you is connected to one thing, Jesus Christ. HE is the common denominator. Ideally, you now have the environment you have longed for your whole life.
But it can also happen to you that in this community you experience the same rejection that has accompanied you your whole life.
And yet something fundamental has changed. You are now a child of God. I myself have experienced this rejection and have always asked myself what makes me so unlovable. And found no answer. And as disappointed as I was in the people around me, looking back I am grateful to them. It may sound funny, but the rejection I experienced literally drove me into the arms of God. I always felt and still feel accepted by God, and today I don't know how my life would have developed without HIM. He not only accepted me for who I am, He helped me bring out the best in me. Many years in the past it was important to me how I was perceived by others, but now only HE counts. Other people are still important to me, but if the chemistry isn't right, I can now live with it very well. Looking at God and seeking his closeness gives me the joy and the strength to move forward step by step.
Two weeks ago I visited a very good long-term friend in Germany and as we sat together in the evening and she reminisced, I became extremely aware of the time when I felt rejected. A fragment of the past woke up in me. And a few days later I had an experience that made me write today's post.
I woke up in the night after a dream with a prayer on my lips. But it wasn't just any prayer, it was David's prayer. David often addressed God as "Lord Lord" in his prayers. But as is so often the case with dreams, we quickly forget what it was about. And so I only know that it was about a situation in which I felt rejected and I prayed to God to change that. I only remember the "Lord Lord" on my lips and the encouragement I received in answer to my prayer.
I AM YOURS AND YOU ARE MINE
And I would like to pass this encouragement on to you. This is how God deals with “his children”. He loves you beyond measure, no matter how popular and respected you are. And that love is not dependent on what you do or say, it is HIS gift to you. HE accepted you because HE loves you.
I wish you a contemplative pre-Christmas period and new deep encounters with our unique and brilliant God.
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