How Does One Go From This To…

Clearance Rack?

When You’re Rejected, Returned, Refused & Recluse!

Rejected?  Returned?  Refused?  Now I’m going Recluse!  Or at least I want to.  I understand why so many tender hearts isolate and go at it alone.

Do you ever feel like the words and opinions of others portray a mental depiction that you thought was developed from your own insecurities being illuminated or hanging out in the wrong neighborhood again? 

Here you are, unbeknownst to you, an infamous motion picture star of a 3D finale.  You’re hanging on a clearance rack for all to see marked down.  Returned and Refused!  Examining you at every angle, nausea sets in due to the lingering stench of their dragon’s breath.  They’re that close.  It makes you want to projectile for many reasons. 

After their relentless review of every imperfection at the cost of each bad angle and exaggeration, they chuckle while announcing the attached “clearance” price tag regarding your worth and value is now stamped “zilch.”  Rejection at her finest hour!

  Infamous Star of Rejection

Being considered “detestable” and “unloved” and “infamous” is a torturous form of rejection to be labeled.  These labels come in many forms, but it’s mainly developed through the words and lies of hurt beloveds who are threatened or want attention, fear being exposed, or even jealously.  They keep these fuel lines of anger, gossip and deceit going by tarnishing our character to make themselves feel better. 

Used Goods on the Clearance Rack

Buy me, buy me, buy me!!!  Sad pleas coming from a Beloved whose Jesus already paid a huge price for.  My redemption cost much.  When our motives are pure and we walk our faith, the flaming arrows from the enemy are relentless.  Our mouths may be a small member of the body, but its destructive power will do more damage than any tsunami or even a nuclear war could afflict (James 3:5).  Those natural disasters have no power over what the destruction of the tongue can do.  The enemy uses this powerful member to divide and destroy one another by pitting us against each other.  Our tongues speak and spread division and destruction.  How can we celebrate each other when all we’re doing is competing and comparing and criticizing everyone offensively?

Let me share, Beautiful Beloved, when I was hurting due to the lies and actions from others, my Lord assured me that He hears, hurts and hates those words being stamped “no good.”  Our loving Father highlights Proverbs 6:16-19 announcing, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him:  Haughty eyes (pride), a lying tongue (hello), hands that shed innocent blood (betrayal), a heart that devises wicked schemes (exaggeration of faults), feet that are quick to rush into evil (gossip mongers), a false witness who pours out lies (covering their assets), and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers (drama queen).”

After unleashing my Noah’s Flood into my bestie’s lap that nearly took her out due to the force of the download, did I again realize that women are ferociously catty and instead of wanting to celebrate each other’s (CEOs) lives, they spend exhausting amounts of time criticizing each other while comparing each other all in the name of jealousy.  Here I’m trying to love and encourage them through support and they’re devising wicked schemes to take me down.  As much as it hurt, and trust me, it hurt and felt like hell unleashed on my heart similar to Edward Scissor Hands shredding it; that’s when the Lord reminded me, “Are you seeking the approval of man or me?”  

Praying for people who have slandered us and continue to spread lies is another form of persecution where the Lord wants us to walk through this darkness exhibiting and exposing His light through love.  This is where Tragedy Meets His Majesty revealing His magnetic glory. 

If only I can remember to count this friction as pure joy, it will strengthen me as I persevere and allow His magnetic glory to be clearly revealed (James 1:2).  The world first hated Jesus (John 15:18-25) and I am a part of His Army of Hope, so…

I’m being honest here, sometimes it is hard to pour out love when others’ venomous tongues are sneaking around to kill, steal and destroy.  The pain afflicted by a few was intense.  It was pain that I hadn’t recognized in quite a while and didn’t know what to do with the infection from the venomous bite.

Processing this pain requires intimacy with the Father to unleash His fruit.  The fruit of the Spirit clearly announces what’s going on in our hearts and behind these poker faces, but it breaks my heart how we’re hurting my Lord by our hardened hearts and lack of relationship with Him.  We leave our Bibles unopened.  We just hang out in the four walls of our deception. 

Purification of our hearts are needed when we’re not walking out what we say we believe.  Congregations are not holding tanks or places to perform to gain worldly power and media prestige.  This burden of Godly anger is something I am finding hard to keep restrained.

Those stings of rejection that were repeatedly gnashing at my body and penetrating through my armor made me feel like I was being set up to be hung out to dry.  Here I was living out what Proverbs 31:8-9 says about “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” and people reacted by attacking my loved one and spread lies about his precious life.

But…  I give you permission to continue to poke, prod and hang me out to dry as you continue to squeeze the life of Jesus out of me because its splashing will get on you and effect you.  That’s a sprinkling of His Love that goes deep into your soul and its fragrance is nothing but pure sweetness.

I choose to bear witness to my Jesus and love you.  I choose to forgive you.  I see how this school of pain has developed perseverance and character in me.  You may have “intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” through an explosion of pure magnetic glory (Genesis 50:20).  I rest my case!

Until next time…

Thank You For Being Beautiful You!