Jules Verne is one of my favorite writers. When he was 35 years old and still unknown, he wrote a satire on the future called “Paris in the 20th Century.” The year was 1863. He gave it to the top publisher of the day, but the publisher was not impressed. He called it "petty journalism" and rejected it.
Jules Verne was very disappointed. He put the manuscript away in a trunk in the attic of his house. He went on to other things. Eventually, he became famous with amazing novels like “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” My personal favorite is "Around the World in 80 Days."
The book about Paris was forgotten until recently. A great-grandson was cleaning out the family house when he found the old manuscript. They were able to prove that it was Jules Verne's and it was finally published, a century late.
The book is really amazing. He projected 100 years ahead. In his Paris of 1960, people have private cars. He called them, "gaz cabs," with each one having 20 to 30 horsepower. He wrote this twenty-five years before the invention of the automobile. He also predicted the computer, the fax, the telephone, skyscrapers and electric lights that illuminate entire cities at night. Jules Verne was one of the world's great visionaries, but he still knew what it was like to be rejected . . . to be turned down.
Are you, perhaps, struggling with rejection today? You are not alone, that’s for sure. The greatest person who ever lived was rejected. The prophet Isaiah foretold, “He is despised and rejected of men.” (Isaiah 53:3)
Feeling rejected? You’re in good company!