REJECTION!

No one wants to feel, or be, rejected. Recently hearing about the young monkey at a Japanese zoo, who was rejected by his mother, as well as the other monkeys in the same compound, was heartbreaking to most of us, especially those of us who are mothers. Had this happened in their normal habitat, chances are this little guy, “Punch,” would have died. Zoo keepers could only guess the mother rejected him because she was a first time mom, or overly stressed due to the hot weather. None the less, his keepers stepped up to do what they could and that was to find a substitute” parent,” or “friend,” to comfort him, which they did through a stuffed toy resembling an orangutan. Although sad as it was that he was not accepted by the other monkeys, it was heartwarming to see how much he loved that stuffed animal. As time went on, one of the older monkeys began to warm up to Punch and little by little so did the others, so this story has a happy ending. Not all cases happen that way as there are people in this world that feel rejected everyday. It’s hard for our young people that may feel rejected from a group of peers at school, even we as adults may feel rejected with people we work with, or could feel that way at social events. Feeling unwelcome is not a good feeling and I am sure many of us have felt that way at times in our lives. Learning to move passed the hurt of rejection is imperative to live a healthy life, otherwise we will continue down a broken path. Surrounding yourself with people who care about you and who will help build your confidence is important. Steer clear, as much as possible, of those who reject you, most likely they don’t know you very well! Remember, Jesus, the ultimate example, was despised and rejected, yet remained secure in His Father, don’t think I need to add much more to that!

Romans8:31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Heavenly Father, we ask for healing of places deep in our hearts where we have felt rejected or abandoned so we may continue to gain confidence, courage and strength to continually move forward and find comfort and security in your embrace. In Your precious name we pray. Amen