Relationships Bare Brittle Limbs and Winter

“I am good at walking away. Rejection teaches you how to reject.”
― Jeanette Winterson


Flickr">


I haven't been able to blog stalk for weeks maybe months. If I'm at my computer I'm working. Most days I don't make it out of my jammies until its time to pick up the kiddos. If the doorbell rings I freeze until they go away. My poor yoga pants have needed to retire since about Thanksgiving. My work load is finally calming down from the Christmas frenzy and I've been able to return calls to friends and catch up on laundry/ironing. Thankfully I have help once a week or who knows what my toilets would look like. When I need inspiration and a good measure of wisdom I always know I can count on Flower Patch Farmgirl I grab a cup of coffee and can lose a good hour pouring over her posts. I have dealt with my fair share of rejection as I'm sure most of us have. I used to think it was just me but the more I talk about it the more I learn that many of my friends are dealing with or have dealt with the pain of rejection and or loneliness. I know that God led me to read this post in His time. I've sat on it for a day and decided to pass Shannan's wisdom on to those who still read my pitiful blog.

These words stuck but the whole message is wonderful. If you haven't visited her, do so and you'll be glad you did. I believe God speaks directly through her quirky writings. She has a way!


"Aren't we promised that following Christ means some of our relationships will be chipped up, or even fractured? Are we not signing up for a measure of rejection? Doesn't this count as suffering?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in The Cost of Discipleship, "It is Christ's will that [man] should be thus isolated, and that he should fix his eyes solely on Him."

That is where my pitiful humanity wrecks this gift of loneliness. Over and over, rather than fixing my eyes on the One who loves me best, I frantically scan the horizon-line for a jeans-and-sneaks person to save me. I run to my husband, or my mom. Affirmation is only a text message away. From the security of the school pick up line, from the comfort of my kitchen, I can yell for help and someone will throw me a float." Shanna

I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. (Hosea 14:8)