As Fi Bows to Peer Pressure

I have today off work. I am going to Sir Ed’s remembrance service at Windsor Castle (I have a pretty invitation from Buckingham Palace) to hang out with loads of other Kiwis (they’ve invited like 400 of us I hear) and remember a pretty cool and inspiring guy. I’m pretty stoked at the opportunity.

Off to tidy room now. Grand.

I had this thought on Sunday - why is it that we get so disheartened by rejection (by people, jobs etc.) and yet often completely forget about (or wilfully ignore) the one and only thing that has never and will never reject us - God. Not only does He never reject us but welcomes us with open arms whenever we come to Him in a way that no other person ever will - unconditional love despite all we’ve done, despite the many times I’ve screwed up I’m still loved unconditionally by God. It’s hard to remember it when you’re feeling completely idiotic for ever thinking you’d have a chance at that job or with that person but I guess it’s probably the most important thing to remember because without it it can be really difficult to stay hopeful.

This passed nicely onto the topic of Sunday sermon at church which was about what it meant to love God. To be honst I got caught up in the first bit of the sermon and while I took the rest in I was left dwelling on the examples the speaker gave. He talked about 9/11 and the people who rang family and friends from the Towers, the Pennsylvania flight and the Pentagon. None of them rang with messages of hurt, of hate, of rejection - they talked of love. When it comes to it love is the answer in today’s world. God’s love, love for others, love for yourself (in the knowledge that God formed you in his image) . . .

Frankly I can’t imagine being in that situation and I hope I never am but I know that should I ever be, I won’t be thinking about the times in life when I felt rejected because I’ll be thinking about those I love and those that love me . . . as well as the one true God who is always ready to welcome me with open arms. What is rejection when faced with unconditional love?

“In case I never see you again, I want you to know I love y’all very very much, that the plane has been taken over by hijackers . . . and then I said well we love you very much too Mark, let me go get your mother” - 9/11 families speaking about their calls from loved ones in the song I Believe from “Let’s Roll” (James Curlin)