Rejection

Rejection is an awful feeling. I’m not referring to rejection by someone you had a crush on, that’s no big deal, that’s just part of being human. The kind of rejection I’m thinking about occurs when someone you really love, someone you actually care for more than yourself, is too blind to recognize that love, and their need for it. A crush is easy to get over because it’s not really love. Crushes are merely an infatuation, a fleeting novelty. However, whether it’s a family member, or a close friend, rejection of real love hurts not because your pride has been wounded but because you can see how the person you love is being wounded and because you love them, it hurts to see that. I think this is how God often feels when he sees us, his children, pushing him away. He doesn’t take offense that we once again stood him up; rather, he grieves our sins because he sees how much they hurt us. Not only does he see how much they hurt us, he also sees how much happier we could be if we choose to live in his love. His love for us is so great that even while being crucified, he called out, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). Now that is real love.