Acceptance

Revisiting a recent thought from Women's Retreat 09

I am a little addicted to The Bachelor, season 13. In who will Jason, the single dad from Seattle find love? That is the question that keeps me turning on the television at 7:00 p.m. every Monday night. However, recently my mind has been considering a lesson to be learned from the show. It hit me as I listened to Nicki on her "limo rejection ride" after not receiving the rose a couple weeks ago.  She admitted that she was just not pretty, smart or good enough and it broke my heart. 

How many of us have sought after something only to come up realizing we just were not good enough? Maybe it was love lost or maybe it was that part in a play (which I heard someone confess just this morning). Maybe it was a job opportunity or the acceptance from another (parent, sibling, child, pet...). 

On The Bachelor, the women all desire to receive the rose from Jason. The rose represents his acceptance, a chance at love or even the opportunity to spend one more week on TV. 

Jason offers the woman he chooses the rose with the question "Will you accept this rose?"

This question and rose represents Jason's acceptance and the women who are recipients glow with joy.

What in your life represents the rose? Who is it that you seek acceptance from? Don't we all have that person or situation that we are desiring a particular response?

I don't think it is just a "women thing". I just happen to know that women have a thing about acceptance and wanting it from those around them. 

God wants us (male or female) to know we are not only accepted, but loved passionately by God. Loved so much that "God gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Jesus came to earth, taught, healed and did miracles, died on a cross carrying our sins and three days later...rose.

Will we accept this rose? 

You are Loved.