Regurgitating Rejection

Standing on a mountain gives you

the opportunity to see what you have climbed.

 In the distance, you can see

other trails on the mountains of life.

 I have watched the cycle of abandonment and rejection keep rolling like a ball on a bowling alley. Children are strewn into the gutters of life by parents who are supposed to love them. Like pins falling in the alley, children fall into the same cycle of abandonment and rejection. Many children create a sequel to their own rejection and the series continues generationally. Recognizing rejection and it's insidious erosion of God's plan for love filled relationships is worth struggling for.

I began to notice that every time we seem to grow to a point of really accepting each other - he would push me away. It was not a gentle pushing away, it was more like an explosion. He would act so badly that I would have to tell him to leave the Youth Center. I was frazzled and dizzied by the way he acted. We seemed to be getting along fantastic and then all of a sudden he would reject me like a bird regurgitating a meal to it's young. It was almost like he hated me. At first, I wallowed in self pity letting my ego graze upon the food of  prideful haughtiness. "How could he treat me this way after all I've done for him?" Then I remembered what God taught me through birds and how they take care of their young.

 "The Golden Rule of Regurgitation."

• When you meet hate, you have to regurgitate - LOVE.

• When you meet a hater, you have to be a regurgitator of - LOVE.

• When you meet rejection and abandonment, internalize it and mix it with the oils of the Holy Spirit within you and regurgitate that mixture back upon the hater as a new and powerful love.

• A mother bird feeds her young many times before they leave the nest. You may have to regurgitate your love many times before it is accepted.

• Perseverance is a regurgitators action plan.

The trails of life often begin with togetherness.

 The young girl would do anything to get some attention. She would do anything that any guy wanted her to do. We gave her a ride home one night. She directed us to an old 3 story brick tenement  house. She said she lived with a family member on the 3rd floor. There was music coming from the 3rd floor and we could see shadows in the windows. We watched as she pounded on the downstairs door, yelled and threw stones at the window - nobody answered. She came back to the van and said:

"I guess he doesn't want me here tonight"

She then directed us to drive to another set of apartment complexes. The young girl pointed to an alleyway and said she knew a place where she could stay. She got out and disappeared down the alley. When she came to the Youth Center the next day, one of our staff members made a deep observation: "I wonder if she is wearing the clothes of the person that she slept with last night?" The inference was clear: "What did she have to do for a place to sleep?"   This girl did anything to be accepted. Her self esteem was almost non existent - stolen by the hard hearted actions of those who had rejected her. On one night, she finally said no to someone who wanted to use her. I have not seen her since that night, but I pray that the love that we shared planted acceptance in her rejected heart.

Separation on the trails of life

is not always rejection

 Loneliness and rejection can cause a victim to hunger for revenge. It would be understandable if a young girl who was sexually used and then rejected would grow older and become the user and rejector. There is a mentality that says: "I'm going to get even with all of those people who rejected and used me." Sex can be used to manipulate people. It's easy to blame the manipulator, although there is no healing in blame.  The root of rejection is fear. There is no fear in love.

1 John 4:18

Common English Bible

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love.

 
Today's Wise Saying is taken from Proverbs 23:26-28.

Proverbs 23:26-28

New International Version (NIV)

Saying 18

²⁶ My son, give me your heart
    and let your eyes delight in my ways,
²⁷ for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,
    and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
²⁸ Like a bandit she lies in wait
    and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

Proverbs 23:26-28

The Message (MSG)

17

²⁶ Dear child, I want your full attention;
    please do what I show you.

^27-28 A whore is a bottomless pit;
    a loose woman can get you in deep trouble fast.
She’ll take you for all you’ve got;
    she’s worse than a pack of thieves.

Proverbs 23:26-28

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁶ My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe and delight in my ways,

²⁷ For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a loose woman is a narrow pit.

²⁸ She also lies in wait as a robber or as one waits for prey, and she increases the treacherous among men.

Proverbs 23:26-28

King James Version (KJV)

²⁶ My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
²⁷ For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
²⁸ She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.

 God wants our whole heart, all of our attention. He wants our focus to be on Him. Rejection rooted in fear promulgates punishment. We can point fingers at whores and blame wayward women for our troubles or focus on God. Focusing on God lessens our transgressions.

Heart-Storming Challenge:

• Do you judge people? 
• Do you recognize rejection roots?
• How do you regurgitate God's love?

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody

Jesus loves you and so do we.