25 years later, bullies make amends with classmate

Twenty-five years after being bullied in High School, Lynda, posted a poem about herself and how it felt to be bullied in school.  Her former schoolmates, including the bullies saw the poem and decide to make amends.  They did not know what here life was back then, nor that her family was poor.  The truth is that being poor should not have been an excuse to bully her.  There is no reason good enough to bully someone.  These bullies just as most bullies, will live with a lifetime of guilt, or they will one day bully someone who can defend themselves…or will find the person they are bullying has friends who will stand up to them.  Here is the link to the video of Lynda’s story, and of the forgiveness that God gave her that allowed her to forgive those who had bullied her.

msnbc video: 25 years later, bullies make amends with classmate.

I remember in Junior High having a bully, in fact a girl named Debbie, who thought she had the right to taunt me because I didn’t pluck my eyebrows, nor did I wear makeup.  You see it is a tradition in my family that you don’t wear makeup or any other girly thing until you reach the age of 13, and you don’t date until you are 16.  She didn’t ask why I didn’t, just harangued me every day in class and the hallway between classes about it.  Until one day, my bestfriend had enough of it and took this girl on right by the door to English class.  Whenever Debbie harrassed me I just answered…”So?”, and walked off.  I had confidence that I could handle myself if I needed to so I just didn’t let it get to me.  The main reason I remember it all is because of my bestfriend  Linda.  She was the tallest girl in the school, and I was one of the shortest.  She was calm, friendly, and sweet, and I was like dynamite ready  to explode on anyone who gave me trouble.  Having been friends since 5th grade I can truly say I had never seen Linda angry, nor had I ever seen her in a fight. That day when she went off on my bully, was the day I found out how much of a friend she was, because she wasn’t going to let someone bully me or any of her friends.  When I think of best friends…Linda is the top and always will be, because she proved that like the Bible says…”Greater love has no man than this, that he would lay down his life for a friend.”   Linda knew what my home life was like and she encouraged me when it was the toughest.  It was because of Linda’s influence that I made a point of not letting my anger make me a bully, but instead to become one who would stand up for those I saw being bullied.  I wish more kids would be Lindas in this world, both like my friend, and like the Lynda in the story, and be forgiving when they are bullied, or be the friend that will stand up against bullies for their friends and even for those who aren’t their friends.  If you know someone who is being bullied, step up and be Jesus to that person.  Protect them, stand with them, encourage them, and show them that someone cares for them.  Who knows this may be the one who becomes your best friend for life.

 

Walk with Jesus » Persevere, Jesus Is With You!

Living with daily physical pain is something new to me.  As a child, I would get sick with strep, dealt with pain brought on by my own choices like trying to tightrope walk on a 6 foot high fence, and I did deal with pain from some physical abuse that was going on in my life, but it wasn’t a daily thing…not every moment of every single day, like I deal with now.  After reading this story of a young girl who had Rheumotoid Arthritis all her life, I’m thankful that I didn’t have to.  Why?  Because I am a big baby!  I could never have shown the courage and strength this young woman showed daily, because I was a selfish, self-centered child!  I could not look past myself the way she did!  Yes…I’m a normal human being, given to faults and human emotions.   And I realize that I need God’s help to change that!

We never realize why things happen in our lives, things like sickness, death, even pain…but we can decide how we will handle it.  Reading about this young lady made me realize I need to do better at how I handle dealing with Fibromyalgia and Severe Osteoarthritis.  I need to be the overcomer this young woman was…looking past herself and to making the most of those good days and using them for the glory of God.  I’ve never been one to have heroes, basically because I always figured everyone is human and has their faults and their good qualities as well.  So when my fellow classmates were swooning over the latest music heartthrob, I was just moving on day by day, not really striving to be like this person or that person.  I never really took the time to really get to know my fellow students, people at church, or for that matter people in history, politics or in soceity.  I just wanted to move past what was going on in my life at break neck speed.  I didn’t take time to really get to know my fellow student who had to wear a back brace in high school, or the older lady at the church who sat in the back by herself every week.  I didn’t take the time to really get to know that little boy with Muscular Dystrophy even though I was his babysitter many times.  I wasted a lot of time that was really precious.

But now I’m slowed down due to my health and God is really doing a work in me while he has me moving like a turtle.  I see how he is opening my eyes to others, and their stories of perseverence.  I hear his voice telling me that each day is precious and that moving so fast through life has not benefited me, nor those around me.  He’s telling me that life is a blessing to be taken a moment at a time, to be used for his glory and to praise him for it.  And in each moment now God is showing me what being an overcomer through him really means.

As I read this story of this young lady, I found myself asking God to forgive my selfishness about life, and to forgive my moments of self-pity now.  I find that now, during this time of my life, I do have heroes…like the soldier who is fighting for our freedom, the baby fighting to live in the hospital, the older woman who despite struggling to walk finds the time to flash a beautiful smile and ask me how she can pray for me, and this young woman who despite her own pain was willing to serve her fellow classmates without a complaint.  Thank you Lord, for slowing me down and helping me to find the true heroes in this world!

Here is a link to the story of a very brave and wonderful young lady, and my newest hero…

Walk with Jesus » Persevere, Jesus Is With You!.

via Walk with Jesus » Persevere, Jesus Is With You!.