Blueprints and Belonging
The stone rejected by the builders is now the main foundation stone! This has happened because of the Lord; it is astounding in our sight! This is the day the Lord acted; we will rejoice and celebrate in it! – Psalm 118:22-24 (CEB)
We’ve all known rejection. It’s one thing to be passed over. It’s another to feel like you were never even in the blueprint. And yet, the psalmist tells us God doesn’t just notice what gets thrown out. God builds with it. A cornerstone, not in spite of its rejection, but because of it.
“This is the day” isn’t about everything going right. It’s about choosing joy even in a world that misunderstands, mislabels, and misses the point. It’s a declaration that what looks like a setback might just be sacred construction underway.
That’s God’s holy defiance: turning dismissal into foundation, and exclusion into strength. It’s not rebellion for its own sake. It’s the quiet, revolutionary love of a God who makes masterpieces from discards.
Maybe you’ve felt like the wrong shape for the institution, or the wrong kind of faithful. Maybe your joy doesn’t look like everyone else’s. Good! God’s construction site has room for rough edges, well-worn stories, and cornerstones no one else would’ve imagined.
We are not projects but people, unfinished and beloved. We’re not waiting to measure up before we belong. God calls us enough. God calls us essential. And when we trust that truth, we start shaping a world where everyone’s place is honored.
That’s our holy defiance: claiming our place and clearing the way for others to find theirs.
Prayer
God of sacred surprises, thank you for building with what others toss aside. Make us bold enough to believe we belong and brave enough to make room for everyone else. Amen.
About the AuthorPhiwa Langeni creatively invites others into transformational liminal spaces between what has been and what is yet to be. A lifelong outsider, they are passionate about helping people see that different doesn’t have to be dangerous.