How Rejection Can Set Us Up Instead of Set Us Back

By Lynn Cowell

God's Brave Women - Lynn's Story

Have you ever needed to do something but lacked the confidence or courage to do it? Go back to college? Give a presentation? Look for a new job? Move to a different city? I’ve so been there! Especially when it has come to pursuing my potential with God.

I think a part of us believes if God nudges us to do something, it won’t be that hard. I’m just going to say that has not been my experience in this adventurous journey with Him.

Several years ago, one of my adventures began on the road to becoming a published author. Not knowing just how hard the journey would be, I naively sent out my proposals. One by one, the replies filled my box, each one saying the same thing in a different way: No. It was as if a huge, rubber stamp marked REJECTION was stamped right across my forehead. The stamp got larger and ink darker with each notification.

No–You aren’t well known. No–Your writing is not what we are looking for. No–We don’t publish books for teens. I felt like my heart could not take another rejection.

Some days, I was brave. I gave myself the little pep talk others had said to me when I shared more bad news, “Every no gets you closer to that yes.” Other days, I curled up in a ball on my kitchen floor and wept. It all felt so very personal.

With no college degree, no background in English, and no platform as an author, I didn’t offer a publisher what they were looking for; the reasons they needed in order to say yes. Encouragement from friends and family such as “God’s timing is best” or “God will take care of it” were no longer working on my wounded heart. In fact, they only felt worse.