Seal of Rejection

I’m currently driving around town with a rejection billboard plastered to my windshield. Yes, my well-loved vehicle has been officially rejected by the great state of Virginia.

This failure to pass inspection came just days after learning that this fine piece of machinery is worth a whopping $1,000. Talk about a punch to the gut. Don’t they know you can’t put a dollar amount on an invaluable blessing that at one time rescued a car-less single mom? Yes, it’s got its quirks. And, come on, mileage is just a number. This black beauty has much life left to live. I think. Actually, I’m not really sure. It’s less like a stallion and more like a cat with nine lives, going on nine and three-quarters. But nonetheless, it’s been good to me. And it’s still rolling. A little rejection won’t stop it. Well, it will eventually if we don’t fix the issues, but details shmetails. 

In the meantime, I can’t help but relate to my ol’ automobile. How often have I felt like there was a rejection sticker stuck to my forehead?

No one likes rejection. Many even fear it. And avoid it like a state inspection. I mean, that's just what I’ve heard. It’s not like I drove around with a 6-month past-due inspection sticker or anything. 

But the fact of the matter, whether career or school-related, social, or relational, a rejection can cut deep. Even destroy. The hypothetical label can feel heavy. But I’m beginning to think we should approach rejection like this gallant steed of mine.

You see, just hours after being rejected, it literally rejected rejection. That rejection sticker refuses to stay adhered to my windshield. So, while it is important that we accept that rejection is inevitable, we must refuse to let it cling to us. We can check our engines and seek wisdom, we can make changes and grow, we can reevaluate and reroute. 

But that rejection label is not our identity. Just like my Chrysler is marked by its maker, our identity is found in our Maker as well. 

I guess what my car is trying to say is that we need to release it and keep on rolling. Because we never know what’s around the next bend in the road. 

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