I considered placing this in the teen forum, but thought that it is a story that many may relate to and learn from....
'She crippled in agony, as the tightly clenched fist dug into her jaw...cracking the bone...scarring her permanently with the reminder of school day bullying'....
This story begins with one of my school friends - Sarah. As a result of her taking me to the Principles office after I was beaten up a few days prior, she then received the beating of her life....one which to this day, she is reminded of every time she opens her mouth. She had never been picked on much before that and I couldnt help feeling responsible for her demise as I was the unpopular kid that she tried to help - to her own detriment.
There is a saying that says that 'school days are the best of your life.' I beg to differ...they were the worst! I dont honestly remember one day without torment, fear, verbal and physical abuse. Was I fat? No. Did I have buck teeth? No. Did I somehow stand out in the crowd? No. I would say I was a relatively normal kid....so why me?
My torment began when I shifted Primary schools (8 yrs old)..the kids there were nasty pieces of work! I hid in bushes and in classrooms for fear of their taunts. I told teachers and they never listened so I soon learnt that I had to fend for myself. I tried to fight back but all my fighting was in vain.
From 11 yrs old the bullying escalated. I began to self harm...not that it would have been called that back then, but most bizarrely I began pulling my eyelashes out....I spent the next 2 1/2 years without eyelashes....my Parents believing I had Alopecia - a hair loss disease...I was too scared to tell them the truth. I hated myself.
From 12 yrs - 14 yrs old I was in the worst behaved class in the whole school....oh how lucky for me! This is where I would be punched till I had a dead arm, kicked, called a myriad of names I care not to repeat...and verbally abused every moment. I hated that class, I hated school, I hated myself and I hated life. Suicide had never looked so attractive, however, I come from a loving family and this was the only thing which stopped me seriously considering it as an option.
It was at 14yrs old that I got viciously beaten at school...and as a repercussion of Sarah's intervention she received that whole body punch to her jaw which still gives her problems today.
So where is God in all of this? Well, he miraculously turned up after Sarah and I got beaten up. See, we had THE toughest bullies in our class...we knew we were minced meat and that it wasnt just going to stop at 'teaching us a lesson' we knew full well that another beating was just around the corner, but that is where I believe GOD stepped in.
See, I had made a Christian commitment at 12yrs old...didnt really understand what it meant and it took till 15 when I went to a youth group to help see what the Christian life is all about. When I got beaten up I was praying my lil heart out! Psalm 70 was something I prayed EVERY NIGHT. Then when Sarah also got beaten up I prayed all the more that God would not allow us to get beaten up again...in hindsight, he was listening, and he honoured those prayers!
For at the same time as rumours escalated around our class that Sarah and I were 'dead meat' again, another tough 'bully' in my class started being nice to me. Of course I was suspicious...VERY suspicious....but whilst I doubted how genuine she was, she proved to me otherwise. She told the other girls who were going to give me another beating to 'lay off me.' I was stunned! The respect that this 'bully' carried in the class stopped me getting beaten up again. I can only say that is God, as I know her and know she would not do that naturally. This was the first time that someone stood up for me. She had my automatic respect.
So was life cruisy after that? NO WAY! I still had to watch my back...I still got dead arms....I still had shin bruises, I still got called names...BUT...I knew that God saw, God knew, and God cared.
I left school when I had just turned 16...had life improved at school by then? NO. I had not only failed socially but academically I hardly achieved...in fact had I stayed I would have failed miserably. Do I look back on all I have just shared with you with regret? NO! It is a pivotal part of my story, and has influenced who I am. It has given me compassion and empathy. Jesus has set me free from the burdens of the past, he has taken my pain on his shoulders, he has given me a spirit of JOY in place of heaviness, he has restored my soul! As I write this, once again, I see how much I have grown and changed. Jesus has healed my pain, he has helped me to forgive, he has brought me through a journey of acceptance and growth in him. Jesus has used this story to talk to over 70,000 young people when I toured schools in a band. I am not the same rejected, angry, fearful, depressed, suicidal, hateful self...THANK GOD!!! Of course I am still susceptable to feelings of rejection...I know this is one of my biggest fears, but the Lord is working on this too!
I am a ferevent believer in all things working together for good.' Jesus has used me to speak into others lives...he can do the same with you! Everyone has a story!! So start telling yours!!
God bless everyone and thank you for taking the time to read this novel! lol...
'She crippled in agony, as the tightly clenched fist dug into her jaw...cracking the bone...scarring her permanently with the reminder of school day bullying'....
This story begins with one of my school friends - Sarah. As a result of her taking me to the Principles office after I was beaten up a few days prior, she then received the beating of her life....one which to this day, she is reminded of every time she opens her mouth. She had never been picked on much before that and I couldnt help feeling responsible for her demise as I was the unpopular kid that she tried to help - to her own detriment.
There is a saying that says that 'school days are the best of your life.' I beg to differ...they were the worst! I dont honestly remember one day without torment, fear, verbal and physical abuse. Was I fat? No. Did I have buck teeth? No. Did I somehow stand out in the crowd? No. I would say I was a relatively normal kid....so why me?
My torment began when I shifted Primary schools (8 yrs old)..the kids there were nasty pieces of work! I hid in bushes and in classrooms for fear of their taunts. I told teachers and they never listened so I soon learnt that I had to fend for myself. I tried to fight back but all my fighting was in vain.
From 11 yrs old the bullying escalated. I began to self harm...not that it would have been called that back then, but most bizarrely I began pulling my eyelashes out....I spent the next 2 1/2 years without eyelashes....my Parents believing I had Alopecia - a hair loss disease...I was too scared to tell them the truth. I hated myself.
From 12 yrs - 14 yrs old I was in the worst behaved class in the whole school....oh how lucky for me! This is where I would be punched till I had a dead arm, kicked, called a myriad of names I care not to repeat...and verbally abused every moment. I hated that class, I hated school, I hated myself and I hated life. Suicide had never looked so attractive, however, I come from a loving family and this was the only thing which stopped me seriously considering it as an option.
It was at 14yrs old that I got viciously beaten at school...and as a repercussion of Sarah's intervention she received that whole body punch to her jaw which still gives her problems today.
So where is God in all of this? Well, he miraculously turned up after Sarah and I got beaten up. See, we had THE toughest bullies in our class...we knew we were minced meat and that it wasnt just going to stop at 'teaching us a lesson' we knew full well that another beating was just around the corner, but that is where I believe GOD stepped in.
See, I had made a Christian commitment at 12yrs old...didnt really understand what it meant and it took till 15 when I went to a youth group to help see what the Christian life is all about. When I got beaten up I was praying my lil heart out! Psalm 70 was something I prayed EVERY NIGHT. Then when Sarah also got beaten up I prayed all the more that God would not allow us to get beaten up again...in hindsight, he was listening, and he honoured those prayers!
For at the same time as rumours escalated around our class that Sarah and I were 'dead meat' again, another tough 'bully' in my class started being nice to me. Of course I was suspicious...VERY suspicious....but whilst I doubted how genuine she was, she proved to me otherwise. She told the other girls who were going to give me another beating to 'lay off me.' I was stunned! The respect that this 'bully' carried in the class stopped me getting beaten up again. I can only say that is God, as I know her and know she would not do that naturally. This was the first time that someone stood up for me. She had my automatic respect.
So was life cruisy after that? NO WAY! I still had to watch my back...I still got dead arms....I still had shin bruises, I still got called names...BUT...I knew that God saw, God knew, and God cared.
I left school when I had just turned 16...had life improved at school by then? NO. I had not only failed socially but academically I hardly achieved...in fact had I stayed I would have failed miserably. Do I look back on all I have just shared with you with regret? NO! It is a pivotal part of my story, and has influenced who I am. It has given me compassion and empathy. Jesus has set me free from the burdens of the past, he has taken my pain on his shoulders, he has given me a spirit of JOY in place of heaviness, he has restored my soul! As I write this, once again, I see how much I have grown and changed. Jesus has healed my pain, he has helped me to forgive, he has brought me through a journey of acceptance and growth in him. Jesus has used this story to talk to over 70,000 young people when I toured schools in a band. I am not the same rejected, angry, fearful, depressed, suicidal, hateful self...THANK GOD!!! Of course I am still susceptable to feelings of rejection...I know this is one of my biggest fears, but the Lord is working on this too!
I am a ferevent believer in all things working together for good.' Jesus has used me to speak into others lives...he can do the same with you! Everyone has a story!! So start telling yours!!
God bless everyone and thank you for taking the time to read this novel! lol...
