I didn't want to be a rejection researcher. And if you had told me 5 years ago that I would write a book on the very subject we all fear, I would have been terribly disappointed.
I've always wanted to write a book - but in my mind my best seller was a feel good, kumbaya project that gives everyone warm fuzzies. A book on rejection didn't seem to fit the bill.
But you know how the story goes - in a terrible and shocking instance, my marriage ended - and this woman who wanted to write feel-good books, found herself face down in the valley of rejection.
To say I wrestled is an understatement. I was in a full out bar room brawl with rejection and all the nasty bits and pieces it brings. I felt small. The shame was thick, and the grief breathtaking.
And one day I felt a nudge from Heaven. A different kind of nudge than I had felt before.
See, up until this point God had wrapped His arms around me in my grief. He had shown up with kindness and generosity I had never seen before. But on this day I felt Him asking me to do something.
I felt Him asking me to write a book. A book on rejection.
I want to tell you that when He asked, I immediately said yes. I want to tell you I enthusiastically jumped at the chance.
But truthfully I grumbled and groaned out loud. I did not want to write a book on rejection. It's painful. It's gross. And we all do everything we can to avoid it. I didn't want to be 'the expert on rejection'.
I pushed back hard.
Do you know what happened? The lightbulbs started going off.
And it wasn't long before I realized that I was indeed researching rejection. And here's what I found:
1. Rejection is quite often a divine repositioning in disguise - God will allow these pain points in order to pivot us back into alignment with Him and to protect us from things not meant for us.
2. No human rejection trumps what God says about us. He says we are chosen and worthy of pursuit by Him.
3. The study of rejection is actually a study of identity. And when we learn to fully identify ourselves through the lens of our Heavenly Father, we start to realize who and Whose we are.
So I said yes to God. I said yes to writing a book on rejection. And I said yes to seeing how He will use the story that started out as pain, and quickly became purpose.
It's how He works. He takes our 'yes' and He makes big and beautiful things from it.
Try Him - He does not disappoint.
Love, Nicole
PS. Stay tuned for upcoming details on my new book - releasing November 2nd!