You walk into work on a completely normal morning, but something feels different. People seem a little quieter when you walk by. You catch a few looks that last just a little too long. You sit down at your desk and try to brush it off, but you can’t quite shake the feeling. Then a newer coworker walks over, completely unaware of what’s going on, and says, “Hey, we missed you last night! Why didn’t you come to the movie?” What movie? They pull out their phone and show you. There’s a group chat...

For most of my younger years, I was what I would call a floater. I had friends in different places—dance friends, school friends, church friends—but I never really had a core group.I was usually somewhere on the outside of other people’s circles. Close enough to be there, but never quite close enough to feel like I truly belonged. I would find myself waiting for someone to choose me, invite me, include me, or make me feel like I actually had a place. I wasn’t unpopular. I had friends, but...

There’s a verse I find myself coming back to whenever those old lies start getting loud. Psalm 139:13–14 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” For a long time, I read those words almost like a pretty quote you’d see on a coffee mug. They were comforting, sure, but they felt almost too familiar. I’d read them, agree with them, and move on. It wasn’t until rejection had started to change the...