Day 2 - Rejection is Never Rejection  

In the pursuit of a career in the music business, it is impossible not to have a run-in with rejection. Ask any musician and they’ll have a rejection story. When I moved to Nashville, I hoped to get a record deal right away but quickly found out it wouldn’t be that easy. For three years, I auditioned for record labels and for three years they turned me down. But looking back I can see how that season of rejection pushed me to sharpen my skills as a songwriter. While focusing on the fact that my dream had yet to come true, my songs began being recorded by other artists and I discovered a career working as a songwriter behind the scenes. Eventually, I did get that record deal, but not before God showed me how He can use the gifts He gave me in more ways than I could see. God and time have taught me this - rejection is never rejection. Rejection is always preparation. The One who’s ways are higher than ours knows what we don’t know, sees what we can’t see, and works in ways we can’t understand.

Often, we might be tempted to think, ‘God, I thought I was following Your will for my life. Where are you now that this door has closed in my face?’ If there was anyone in the Bible who might have asked that question, it was Joseph. He was rejected by his own family, sold as a slave by his own brothers, and even thrown in jail for something he didn’t do. Now, I highly doubt Joseph saw these trials as an opportunity or a promotion. But throughout Joseph’s story in Genesis we see this reminder several times, “The Lord was with Joseph…” God is teaching us something else about rejection. Rejection is not abandonment. The Lord was with Joseph in prison and the Lord is with you when you stand in front of whatever door has closed. Let the knowledge that you have a God who stays with you when you face rejection fill your heart with hope. Lift your eyes beyond the dream that hasn’t come true and trust that He is preparing something far greater than you can even imagine.