Step into the Light

About seven years ago, inspiration struck and I wrote a children’s book. So far, it’s had favorable reviews from those I have shown it to. Its intended audience is preschool, two-four or five years in age. In that time, I pitched it to one publisher who sent a very nice rejection letter. I’ve done nothing with it since then.

I purchased a Writer’s Market book as well as a Children’s Writer’s book to help me get it published. But I haven’t worked on a gripping cover letter and the book stays on the computer. I think I have an issue with rejection. The fact is that most writers get far more rejection letters than contracts to publish. I should take that to heart and not let the rejections stop me. Someone out there will surely like it and I’ll finally be a published author. But it is a daunting task.

Rejection hurts, and I am not talking about baring your writing to strangers who do the rejecting. Rejection comes in all forms and has enormous power to destroy lives. If my book is never published, I will get to work on another and try to get published again. But, that really is small potatoes when compared to rejection of the whole person. The entire world is filled with rejection. It’s littered with broken relationships, agonizing pain from rejection that comes in the form of bullying, and fearful hearts hiding behind carefully constructed facades to keep from being hurt.

We all hide to some extent, not wanting some secrets to be discovered, impure thoughts, addictions to mind altering drugs and alcohol, or pornography; such a small list. Jealousy, embezzling, and cheating now and then, the list is endless. And we justify it to ourselves in vain, because deep down we know it is wrong and fear exposure more than anything. Christians still live in a body of weak flesh and need the strength only the Holy Spirit can provide to overcome sinful desires. But there is one requirement, it must be confessed and in doing so brought into the light. Do I hear shaking knees yet?

In my past, I wasted fifteen years caught up in alcoholism, drug abuse, promiscuity and a host of other sins I will not go into. I stepped into the brightness of God’s searching eyes, and held nothing back to the person I chose to disclose all the sordid details. I chose carefully, because I knew the wrong person could cast judgment on me and leave me to suffer the painful rejection I feared more than anything. But she was a woman of God and she made no judgments. Her response was to embrace me and help me pray for forgiveness. She was literally God’s stand-in extending his mercy and grace and declaring I was now a new child of God. All was forgiven and though I might struggle occasionally, I knew where I could go to confess and be restored in relationship to God. I basked in the light of heaven and knew I would never be the same again, regardless of stumbling and times of failure. Such relief washed over me. I was clean!

God’s grace, mercy, and love are there for all humanity. Not all are going to take the offer of free salvation. But those who do must walk in the light, as the Lord is light and in him there is no darkness at all. Scripture says to confess your sins to one another that you might be healed. That demands stepping into the light and being exposed. Risky business. But God expects no less and he also holds accountable those who hurt other Christians by casting stones in judgment. Unless they repent of the sin of judgment and rejection, it will be shown in God’s light when they see him.  I am not saying salvation is lost, but there will be a consequence of some kind.  That is up to our Creator.

If, like me you sometimes hide things that are sinful, God wants to set you free. Find a faithful and mature grace-filled Christian and get it out into the light, confessing and receiving cleansing and forgiveness. God does not reject those who are his, and neither should we. No child of God should suffer rejection at the hands of believers. As the old song goes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.