Have you ever felt rejected? Rejected by a group of friends you so longed to be a part of, rejected by a sports team or club that you wanted to join, rejected by a parent you crave love from, rejected by that employer you tried so hard to impress, rejected by someone you love and wish would know you for who you are and love you back?
Everyone has known this feeling in some way.
Longing to Be Accepted
I remember as a child growing up, I used to have this longing- a longing for someone to see me, to know me, to value me, to accept me, and to love me. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel loved at all. I knew that my parents loved me. I just still longed to be seen, known, valued, accepted, and loved. I would be walking down the alley between my house and my 80 something-year-old sweet neighbor lady’s house, popping tar bubbles with my toes or splashing in puddles and just wondering-
“Does anybody see me? Does anybody want to know me?”
Seen, Known, Accepted, Delighted In
All the while, my loving Heavenly Father was watching. He always saw me and knew the depths of my soul better than I did. He accepted me 100%, tar stained feet and all. I can imagine he probably laughed a bit in a loving Fatherly way, seeing the type of things I chose to take pride in- like feet so callous that I could run through rocks and hot tar with the best of them. He knew me- all that was there and all He had put there to draw me up into throughout my life. And He loved me. It just took me a while to know Him at all and much longer to be able to take in this depth of acceptance and love (to what degree I am capable of today).
You are seen. You are known- by someone who knows you better than you do. You are loved. You are accepted 100%. You always have been. Even when you didn’t feel it. Even if you can’t see it. The grass is green, whether you are colorblind or not. God loves you and is inviting you into a deeper relationship with Him whether you sense that or not. And He takes you as you are and calls you up into all He created you to be.
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Photo Credit: Photo adapted from photo by Xan Griffin on Unsplash
Copyright © 2022 Angela Edmonds. All rights reserved.
Sip Life Slowly and Enjoy It 
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