EMPOWERING LIVES WITH PURPOSE:
…ooooo rejection hurts. It is mad, crazy painful! It can feel like being stabbed multiple times in the heart leaving us in a pool of blood lying on the floor. One anonymous author wrote, “There is no pain greater than rejection.”
The deeper we love the deeper we feel the pain of rejection. If our spouse, a parent, child, or BFF rejects us we feel acute pain. The reason rejection hurts so much is because something or someone matters to us.
I experienced the ravaging pain of rejection from one of my dearest loved ones. My heart was not only pierced but it was shredded to pieces. My wrenching pain turned into a raging inferno of anger that needed a channel of release. Fortunately for me, I was spending the week alone somewhere and doing some work for my family member where I could scream, cry and thrash about seeking to release some of my raw pent-up anguish.
Not only did my loved one inflict the pain of rejection upon me, but she also then wanted me to walk with her through one of the most significant events of her life as if nothing had happened.
I learned two personal insights about our relationship with God as I journeyed through this heart-wrenching experience.
First, I used a lifeline and phoned a friend to gain perspective. As my dear friend listened, she stared at me speechless. She then thoughtfully said, “It is only because your love is so great that you can put your own pain aside to walk through this event with your loved one. This reminds me of Jesus being rejected by the ones He loved. He experienced the agony of rejection, and yet out of His great love for them, He chose to lay His life down – for them.”
Second, because of my bleeding heart, I didn’t want to speak to my loved one. It was just too painful. Yet, at the same time, because of my great love for her, I did want to speak to her. I wanted a restored relationship with her. I realized as hurt as I was, I couldn’t walk away and let the relationship go. I loved her too much. The struggle was real. I came to realize this is how God sees us. His love is unconditional. It is deep. It will never let us go. Even though we hurt Him by rejecting Him or sinning against Him, He still wants a relationship with us. If even a modicum of communication is taking place hope exists for a relationship. No matter how much pain we have caused Him, He loves us too much to let the relationship go.
This rejection has been mad, crazy painful, yet I’ve discovered my love runs deeper. I am grateful that through this I have a newfound understanding of God’s great love for us. His love runs deeper than any rejection we have inflicted upon Him. May we each experience that with our God no matter how much pain we have caused Him, His love runs deeper, and He always wants a relationship with us.