There’s not a woman alive who has not known rejection of one kind or another. You wouldn’t be human if you hadn’t. Whether rejection by a boyfriend, a parent, a boss, for a job, of a manuscript, a business project, a painting entry for an exhibition, a part in a play, a sports competition, an offer for a house purchase, etc. Everyone has felt the loss and disappointment of rejection. It is an awful sensation. It can make one feel inadequate, ineffectual, useless, undervalued, worthless, unloved. And unheard. What motive does the offender have in not listening to you? Does some prejudice cause him to dismiss you in spite of your value? Can he (and so often it is a he) spurn you with words, sever your connection? Perhaps.
What can you do about it? Slump in a chair and cry? Sure. You might do that for a day or two, or sadly, much longer. You may be tempted to justify your anguish by endlessly going over the unfair treatment you received. You could wallow in depression, pull up the covers, hide from the ugliness of it all. Yes, you could debase yourself this way. That would be doing exactly what the rejector did: undermine your goodness. You could get angry and hateful. That’s always good (she wrote sarcastically). You could forget who you are and start to buy into the negative words thrown at you. You could get so upset that you forget there was ever anything good about you!
But that’s not who you really are. And somewhere deep inside you understand that.
If you pull yourself up by your bootstraps to go for the truth about you at the time of rejection, you might reiterate in your mind who you are: a valuable, loveable, talented, attractive……you fill in the blank—- unique individual. To be honest, you might throw in a few lesser traits, too, knowing you intend to improve on those brought to light by this rejection experience. If I sat beside you, I’d still see you as God’s child. Now right up front I want to define what I mean by God for the word can have many definitions. To me, God is Supreme Good (also defined so by many religions and philosophies). God is Love, Spirit, divine Mind, the Principle behind all that is real. God is also the Creator who made you in His image and likeness (as Genesis says). Do you see anything here in God’s child that deserves to be rejected?
Yet this Easter we are reminded that the Son of God, Christ Jesus, received an ultimate rejection: crucifixion! As the prophet Isiah said, and as we hear in Handel’s lovely Messiah, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3) But look a bit further into that biblical account and note that resurrection follows crucifixion. Jesus was not left to suffer by his accusers, but was lifted out of those painful circumstances to a heavenly home.
This week I was rejected. An article I’d written for a publication, following careful thought, research, and writing, was turned down by a form letter of little substance. For about 24 hours I felt dejected. Three people I greatly respect had read and loved the article prior to my sending it off. I’d written well-received articles for this publication some years prior and felt this article to be particularly powerful, timely, important. Not so the editors.
In bed, unable to sleep, I pondered the situation. No, I would not bother to write and submit another article to this publication. What would be the point? Yet, I knew I had something to say, something worthy of being heard. My words matter. In fact, the words that come are rarely mine but lovely, surprising choices dropped into thought by God, perfect for the occasion. I saw that my work could not be stymied by rejection. Several friends had hoped I’d continue to write. “So I shall!” I told myself. “I have a voice! I have something of value to say! Rejection won’t stifle my voice or vision!” Thus, this website was born–an idea that came like an angel message–a place to share, through voice and vision, my words and works, and to inspire other women.
Women everywhere are straining to speak, even those who don’t know it. Our words and works matter. Never forget that you cannot be shushed, silenced, separated from the gifts that come to your thought, that cry to become words and communicate truth.
Pray for Me
Father, Husband, Holy Ghost
The art work shown is my painting Pray for Me, a framed acrylic, 37 1/2″ x 47″ ($1,275) and a companion piece in a series of three works, Father Husband, Holy Ghost, a framed acrylic, 41 1/2″ x 44 1/2 ($1275).” The third piece, Out of the Box is on loan and not shown here.
Often one struggling with a difficulty says to another: “Pray for me.” The phrase has nearly become a cliche without sincerity on either side. Frequently the one making the request has no idea of what he or she is asking, nor might the receiver even understand what sincere prayer entails. The woman kneeling in prayer in a triangle of divine light, is blocked to the left by a pair of do-gooders who are certain they have all the answers, quick to publicly pray, doling out their moralistic opinions. Blocking the woman to the right stands a pillar-like figure representing arrogant self-righteousness, religious hierarchy, and sanctimony. In spite of her captivity, the woman is the only one truly praying.
Father, Husband, Holy Ghost, uses the male language of traditional Christianity to convey the male dominance that frequently prevails in religion. Self-righteous male figures box in the woman on either side. Though contorted by male dominance, she struggles to be free. At the top is the God-figure encircling all. Stained-glass-like black outlining in these pieces purposely recalls the work of Georges Rouault, whose definitive religious paintings I loved seeing when studying in France.
Come visit this site next Sunday, April 11, 2021, for: Spring Cleaning