Reason #893
Two of our friends got married last night. They had their wedding and reception at the same place we had our reception, so we got to relive our night a little bit. It was a lovely wedding, and we were so excited for them. The bride and I divinely became friends two years ago, and it has been fun to watch their relationship unfold.
She was my first "single friend." She's one of those people you're automatically drawn to. Of course, it helps that she's a lot of fun to be around. Anyway, we started going to lunch together on Sundays after church, and were it not for her, I don't know that I'd have any of the friends that I have today. She helped connect the dots for our Sunday School class to happen, and it's a good thing she did because that's how she met her husband.
You never know how God is going to use you. Sometimes it seems like maybe He is giving you what seems to be an insignificant role, or even one that you don't want, yet all parts in God's plan are significant. All parts have a purpose. Had my path not crossed with hers, our class may have never happened. Who knows where I'd be, who knows where she'd be, and who knows if either one of us would have celebrated our wedding days at McPherson.
I told her one time that rejection was God's protection. It sounds so cliché, and well, it is. But it's true. The Lord works in highly mysterious ways, and sometimes those ways seem a little unfair, if we're being honest here. I remember the both of us talking about recovering from broken hearts, and if you ask me, a broken heart is one of the hardest things to heal from. And of course, most broken hearts are the result of some from of rejection. For us women, it usually stems from a relationship gone wrong or a relationship that we're hoping will happen and yet it never does. In both cases, we plead with God to let us have it. Don't let it fall part. Don't let us walk through the shame, ache, and humiliation of rejection. Don't take away the thing we feel we need to have. This seems so unfair. So unkind. So unloving.
But maybe human rejection is one of the best ways God shows us His love. When she faced rejection, she ran to the Lord. So did I. And when we laid our brokenness at His feet, He did remarkable things. He started healing hearts. He started opening blind eyes. And He started to weave such an incredible story that we never saw coming. God allowed rejection for our own protection because God knew what was best for us.
It probably won't make sense. It probably won't seem fair. It may hurt, and it may blindside you. Rejection is no fun. Rejection is a terrible feeling. But God has greater plans for you. God has more in store for you than you can image. And so trust Him. When it doesn't work out, whatever that thing may be, trust that it's for your protection. Trust that God sees what lies ahead and the reason He isn't allowing it is because it's not the best thing for you. Trust that God is looking out for your best interest and this is definitely not going to be in your best interest. He cares about you, about your heart, and your future. Let Him lead you. Don't try and force something that is out of God's will. Don't try and make things happen when the Lord is leading you away from it. Just follow Him. Let Him guide you to that very thing He has in store for you. You may hear a lot of "no's" before you finally get that "yes," but when that "yes" is what God has designed for you, you'll be thankful for the rejection that got you there.
#893 - Because He uses rejection for our good.
"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy." - Psalm 5:11
She was my first "single friend." She's one of those people you're automatically drawn to. Of course, it helps that she's a lot of fun to be around. Anyway, we started going to lunch together on Sundays after church, and were it not for her, I don't know that I'd have any of the friends that I have today. She helped connect the dots for our Sunday School class to happen, and it's a good thing she did because that's how she met her husband.
You never know how God is going to use you. Sometimes it seems like maybe He is giving you what seems to be an insignificant role, or even one that you don't want, yet all parts in God's plan are significant. All parts have a purpose. Had my path not crossed with hers, our class may have never happened. Who knows where I'd be, who knows where she'd be, and who knows if either one of us would have celebrated our wedding days at McPherson.
I told her one time that rejection was God's protection. It sounds so cliché, and well, it is. But it's true. The Lord works in highly mysterious ways, and sometimes those ways seem a little unfair, if we're being honest here. I remember the both of us talking about recovering from broken hearts, and if you ask me, a broken heart is one of the hardest things to heal from. And of course, most broken hearts are the result of some from of rejection. For us women, it usually stems from a relationship gone wrong or a relationship that we're hoping will happen and yet it never does. In both cases, we plead with God to let us have it. Don't let it fall part. Don't let us walk through the shame, ache, and humiliation of rejection. Don't take away the thing we feel we need to have. This seems so unfair. So unkind. So unloving.
But maybe human rejection is one of the best ways God shows us His love. When she faced rejection, she ran to the Lord. So did I. And when we laid our brokenness at His feet, He did remarkable things. He started healing hearts. He started opening blind eyes. And He started to weave such an incredible story that we never saw coming. God allowed rejection for our own protection because God knew what was best for us.
It probably won't make sense. It probably won't seem fair. It may hurt, and it may blindside you. Rejection is no fun. Rejection is a terrible feeling. But God has greater plans for you. God has more in store for you than you can image. And so trust Him. When it doesn't work out, whatever that thing may be, trust that it's for your protection. Trust that God sees what lies ahead and the reason He isn't allowing it is because it's not the best thing for you. Trust that God is looking out for your best interest and this is definitely not going to be in your best interest. He cares about you, about your heart, and your future. Let Him lead you. Don't try and force something that is out of God's will. Don't try and make things happen when the Lord is leading you away from it. Just follow Him. Let Him guide you to that very thing He has in store for you. You may hear a lot of "no's" before you finally get that "yes," but when that "yes" is what God has designed for you, you'll be thankful for the rejection that got you there.
#893 - Because He uses rejection for our good.
"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy." - Psalm 5:11