The Gift Hidden in Rejection
By Kateb Nuri-Alim Shunnar
Rejection hurts. Not in some distant, poetic way, but in a way that grabs you and doesn’t let go. It’s like the sharp sting of a pinched nerve you can’t escape it, and every movement reminds you it’s still there. It can pound like a relentless migraine, throbbing behind your eyes, or gnaw at you like a bad wisdom tooth deep, heavy, and inescapable. It’s the kind of pain that buckles your knees and has you wondering why you even tried. And the worst part? It’s the silence after you’ve poured your heart out, the cold shoulder after you’ve given your best, the cruel realization that everything you offered was treated like crushed eggshells fragile, worthless, stepped on without a second thought.
Rejection makes you question yourself. Was I not good enough? Was I not worth the effort? Those are the first thoughts that come racing through your mind. And if you let it, rejection will plant itself like a weed in your spirit, spreading roots that whisper lies: You’re invisible. You’re not deserving. You’re just not it. But here’s the truth—the painful, necessary truth rejection is not about who you are. It’s about where you’re not meant to be. It’s a divine nudge, a hard push in a different direction, even if you can’t see the map yet.
I remember this one season where every door slammed shut. Job applications ignored. Friendships drifting. Dreams, which once seemed so close, now felt like smoke slipping through my fingers. I kept asking, Why me? What did I do wrong? But silence was the only answer. And in that silence, when everything else fell away, I heard a quieter, stronger voice. It didn’t say much, just this: “Trust Me.” Sometimes, rejection clears the noise so you can hear what really matters.
Think of it like planting a seed. You bury it deep in the dirt, where there’s no light, no air, and everything looks dead. If seeds had feelings, they’d probably feel rejected too. “Why did you push me down here? Why did you cover me up?” But what happens next? That darkness, that isolation it’s what cracks the seed open. It’s what brings new life. Rejection, as painful as it feels, works the same way. It can bury you for a while, but that’s not the end. It’s where the real transformation begins.
And let’s be honest sometimes rejection isn’t even about us. People push us away because they don’t see our value yet. It’s like handing someone a diamond when they only know how to appreciate glass. Their rejection says more about where they’re at in life than about who you are. So don’t take it to heart. Don’t let someone else’s inability to recognize your worth make you question it.
Here’s what rejection taught me: not everyone is meant to hold your hand on this journey. And that’s okay. The Creator will place you exactly where you need to be around people who see your light, not those who dismiss it. Maybe you wanted that “yes” so badly, you didn’t stop to think about whether it was really good for you. Rejection, even when it feels like a slap in the face, is often the very thing that saves you from settling for less.
But let’s not pretend it’s easy. You’re going to feel it. You’re going to wrestle with it. Rejection can leave you staring at the ground, asking questions you’re not ready to answer. And in that space, you have two choices: you can sit in bitterness, or you can start trusting the process. It takes guts to keep moving, to believe that there’s a bigger picture when all you see is a blank canvas. But when you let rejection refine you when you trust that closed doors mean open ones elsewhere that’s when you start living differently.
I’ve learned to be grateful for rejection. Not because it feels good because let’s be real, it doesn’t but because it clears the path. Every time someone walked away or every time a door stayed shut, I ended up somewhere better. It just took time to see it. Rejection is protection. It’s redirection. It’s the Creator pulling you back from something that wasn’t yours so He can lead you to what is. And here’s the kicker: what’s meant for you cannot miss you. You don’t have to chase it.
So next time rejection comes knocking and it will remember this: it doesn’t define you. It doesn’t reduce your worth. It’s just part of the journey. It hurts like hell, but it also humbles you. It forces you to grow, to shed ego, and to rely on something greater than yourself. What feels like the end is often the beginning of something bigger. Rejection isn’t the wall that stops you; it’s the detour that saves you. You just have to keep walking.
Author’s Note
To accompany “The Gift Hidden in Rejection”
Rejection is something every single one of us faces it’s woven into the human experience. It strikes when we least expect it and in ways we often struggle to put into words. For this reflection, I wanted to move beyond describing the pain of rejection and instead explore what it creates in us. Those closed doors, those paths blocked by what feels like a divine “no,” are not the end. They are the moments where the Creator realigns us, planting us firmly in places meant for our growth.
The abstract art paired with this piece mirrors that emotional and spiritual journey. It captures the raw turbulence rejection brings into our lives while whispering hope and the assurance of transformation.
The Colors
The brooding blues and grays are deliberate they carry the weight of rejection. They reflect the sadness that settles in our hearts, the confusion that clouds our minds, and the isolation that creeps in when we feel forgotten or cast aside. Blue, in its quiet intensity, is a color that forces introspection. It’s that deep emotional space where we sit, wrestle, and question everything.
Then there are the streaks of gold and warm hues, breaking through like sunlight after a storm. That gold is intentional it symbolizes the treasure that rejection uncovers within us. Gold speaks of resilience, hope, and the Creator’s touch guiding us forward. Even in the midst of brokenness, something of extraordinary value begins to shine. Like light slipping through cracks, our strength and purpose emerge brightest in the aftermath of hardship.
The fragmented lines weaving through the central figure represent how rejection fractures us. It can leave us feeling incomplete, as though we’re scattered pieces of ourselves. Yet, these lines are alive they move, twist, and swirl. They remind us that while rejection wounds us, it does not stop us. Instead, it sets us in motion. It forces us to grow, adapt, and redefine who we are.
This artwork, like the reflection itself, holds a truth that’s easy to forget: rejection isn’t an ending. It’s a transformation in disguise. The gold breaking through the darkness serves as a reminder that what feels like ruin is often the beginning of renewal. Rejection refines us. It clears the way for us to step into new spaces, new purpose, and a more profound understanding of ourselves.
To anyone grappling with the sting of rejection, I hope this reflection and its accompanying artwork speak to you. I hope you see yourself in both the heaviness of the colors and the brilliance of the gold. Even when you feel shattered or overlooked, there is movement. There is light. You are not finished you are being shaped, refined, and guided toward something far greater than you can see right now.
Kateb Nuri-Alim Shunnar
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