The Sting of Rejection

My kids are pretty high up there on my priority list! Obviously first is God, 2nd is my husband and then come the children. Hence this story begins.

Haley started middle school this year! Wow, was that a shock to me. I knew it was coming and I thought I was prepared. Little did I know that the day she actually started middle school, my life would somehow change! I now became the mother of a "tweenager".

Haley and I had been preparing for school for almost a year now. We would talk about all of the changes she will face in the next few years and just inform eachother of things we thought would be relevant to middle school.

Haley came home from school one of the first few days of the year and informed us that she'd like to play volleyball. Now, this is a child that was given my "lazy bone" syndrome and she wanted to play volleyball. Good for her! Haley missed the very 1st day of tryouts due to a minor operation that she had to have done but has been faithful to volleyball ever since then. I was a little worried she wouldn't follow through with it but she is!

Now, we knew that they don't cut kids on the 6th grade team but they do put kids on either the A team or the B team. Haley was determined to be on the A team. I told Haley to keep in mind that she had never played organized volleyball and no matter what team she was picked to be on she should be grateful for the opportunity to play.

Last night Haley came home with the news. She made the B team and she felt the sting of rejection! Honestly I don't know who felt the sting of rejection harder, Haley or her mom! 8-(
She said "Mom not 1 of my friends is on the B team with me, they all made the A team!" I was saddened for Haley. I know how important her friends are to her and I know what you gain out of being involved with your friends in sports. I told Haley that it didn't matter to me what team she made. I was proud of her that she followed through with her decision to play volleyball and that she did not quit when she was informed that she made the B team.

The rejection was the hard part. The girls were told in front of everyone what team they had made and Haley was disappointed that she did not make the A team. Instead of pouting all night about it, Haley decided to turn her mourning into dancing. Haley told me that she was ok with making the B team because it meant that she'd have more playing time and be rotated more frequently.... after all, she is one of the best on the B team. She went on to tell me that her coach told her that she is one of the best on the B team and if she works really hard they might move her up to the A team.

So, while Haley is a little bummed about being a B leaguer, she knows that there is always the possibility of becoming an A. I must admit, I felt the sting of rejection along with my daughter! I was sad for her and I know what it feels like to be rejected because it happened to me all the time as a kid, by my peers. I'm so thankful that God doesn't have an A, B or C team. He doesn't count our sins against us and put us on a team that He sees fit for us. Instead He gives us one team, the #1 team where we never have to feel the sting of rejection if we give our all for Him!