The Bully
This is a totally ficticious story....
I was the kid that everyone feared. I would hit, kick and talk down to anyone I could. No one stood up to me. Even the few friends I had were kind of scared of me. Not really sure why I acted that way, but that is not why I am telling this story.
I just thought that was how things went in the world. Bigger, stronger, controls the weak. That was my minds way of thinking. The bus drivers and teachers would see me being mean, of course, but they never did a thing to stop me. You would think that I would end up in the principal's office, but nope. That just made me think even more that was how things worked. That it was okay to be that way. I was soon found out I was wrong. Boy was I wrong!
I loved pickin' on kids but there was this one, he was my favorite to tease and taunt. He was so scrawny! Wore the funniest clothes too. He was in fifth grade with me and rode the same bus so I got to let him have it all day long! Sometimes, he would ask me to stop and sometimes he would cry, but most of the time he just took punishment without a word. I did anything and everything I could to torment this poor boy. I would knock him down on the playground, and laugh especially if he skinned his knee. I would put him in trashcans and call him all sorts of names. Once I even locked him in the coat closet. Took the teacher half the day to figure out were he was. He never did knock or cry to get let out. Guess he figured if he was in the closet, I wasnt bothering him.
I remember March 15 very well. It was his birthday. When it was a kids birthday, they always brought treats from home. The class would have this big birthday party right at the end of the day. Except this kid. Never brought anything for the class to share. Came in on his birthday every year and told the teacher that either his mother was too busy to make something or he forgot all about it. Some excuses! Same thing each year, the teacher would say, "I am so sorry, but I didnt bring anything either". She would give him a big hug. Made him smile. Guess that made me angry. Made me angry every year, but this year I was going to get him good. The more I thought about it the angrier I became.
By lunchtime I was furious. He had brought his usual, a puny sack lunch with one peanut butter sandwich. No chips, no drink, no fruit, just plain old peanut butter on bread. Never even had jelly on it! My friends and I asked him one time why he never had jelly and he said, "Dont think I like it." Can you imagine that? What would make someone say that they didn't THINK they would like something? Anyway back to this particular day. I always had the schools hot lunch. Today it was my favorite, hamburger, tator-tots, peaches and chocolate cake. I sat down at the next table were I was facing scrawny boy. He bowed his head as he always did, said something to his hands, it looked like. I didnt know he was praying. Then tore into that sandwich like it was the best food on earth. I took one look at his sandwich and one look at my beloved chocolate cake. Something came over me. Before I knew what I was doing, I stood up, scooped up that cake and started to walk towards him. He looked up at me expectantly. Maybe I was going to wish him "Happy Birthday" and give him cake. Maybe not. I raised my right hand and with all my might crammed that cake into his face. "Heres your birthday present from me!" I mocked. I instantly felt better. He instantly looked terribly funny. I burst out laughing and the rest of the lunchroom joined in. He just sat there, sandwich forgotten and cake all over his face. I was shining in my moment, but my moment didnt last long. While I was laughing so hard with tears rolling down my eyes, I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder. The head lunch lady, Mrs. Mendle, was a real stickler for troublemakers in her lunchroom. Which is why I was careful not to cause trouble in there before. The room got very quiet and I knew instantly that I was busted. I spent the rest of the day in the Principals office. It all somehow felt worth it at the time.
The next day as I got on the bus, I noticed that kids were crowding around him as he happily exclaimed, "My neighbor across the street gave it to me!" I pushed kids out of the way. I heard the driver sigh. I ignored him and kept moving toward my target. How dare this brat be so happy when I had humiliated him beyond belief the day before? I got to his seat and saw that he was clenching a ten-dollar bill. Now ten bucks isnt much but it was money. I reached out to take the money from him and he held it out to me. What was this kid doing? I just stood there with my jaw hitting the floor. He then stood, took a deep breath and said, "Here, I want you to have it." I didnt know what to say so I snatched it away from him.
As I was walking away he touched my arm and said, "Was going to use it to help my mom buy some groceries, but I decided that wanted to give you something."
"Huh?" was all I could reply.
"Yeah," he said, "you are the only person that pays attention to me day after day. No one talks to me or even sits by me on the bus or at lunch. But day after day, I can count on you to give me some sort of attention."
Had he went loony on me? I looked to the driver, but he just looked as puzzled as I did.
"See, when my dad died, my mom had to take two jobs just to pay the mortgage. We dont ever have much because we spend it all on the bills. So I dont see her much." He looked down at the floor and I felt in my heart he was serious. He wasnt saying this to impress me or to make me feel hurt, he was just stating facts. I never knew anything about this kid, never took the time to see why he dressed funny or never seemed to have enough food. I didnt care before. Now I felt something in my heart change. Was this guilt? I looked toward my friends at the back of the bus. They all looked at the floor.
"Here," I said as I crammed the ten back into his hand. Putting my hands into my pockets, I walked back to my seat. I was numb. One of my so-called-friends asked me why I had let him get away with that? I just told him to shut up and I stared ahead. I truly felt bad for everything. When I got home from school that day I decided I was going to repay him for all that I had done wrong.
The next morning, as I got onto the bus I felt a lump in my throat. I clutched the things I had in my hands to my chest and got on board. My old buddies started waving and carrying on as soon as they saw me. I paid them no attention and looked at the boy. He looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back.
"Can I sit here?" I asked. He motioned for me to sit as he scooted toward the window. "Here," I said, "I had my mom make these for you." I handed him my moms famous brownies. Before he could reply, I said, "I know you probably wont, but I want to ask you to forgive me for all of the rotten stuff I have done to you."
Expecting him to say no way was he ever going to forgive me, he surprised me again. "I forgive you." Came his answer. I was bewildered. He didnt stop to think about it. He just trusted that my plea for forgiveness was real. He gave me a gift the day before, not the money, love. Today he gave me forgiveness! I totally was undeserving of either, but he gave them anyway.
From that day on, Jason and I were the best of friends and I never will forget the love that he taught me to have for my self and for others.
The story about is a parable about Jesus. We are like that bully. We forget who Christ really is and we try to belittle Him. Jesus is like that little boy that got picked on. He was humiliated and tortured as He died on a cross but He gave us love. And He gave us forgiveness. All we have to do is believe that He is the Son of God and ask of His forgiveness. He will not hesitate to give us what we do not deserve! Think about it!
Written and posted by Stephanie
This is a totally ficticious story....
I was the kid that everyone feared. I would hit, kick and talk down to anyone I could. No one stood up to me. Even the few friends I had were kind of scared of me. Not really sure why I acted that way, but that is not why I am telling this story.
I just thought that was how things went in the world. Bigger, stronger, controls the weak. That was my minds way of thinking. The bus drivers and teachers would see me being mean, of course, but they never did a thing to stop me. You would think that I would end up in the principal's office, but nope. That just made me think even more that was how things worked. That it was okay to be that way. I was soon found out I was wrong. Boy was I wrong!
I loved pickin' on kids but there was this one, he was my favorite to tease and taunt. He was so scrawny! Wore the funniest clothes too. He was in fifth grade with me and rode the same bus so I got to let him have it all day long! Sometimes, he would ask me to stop and sometimes he would cry, but most of the time he just took punishment without a word. I did anything and everything I could to torment this poor boy. I would knock him down on the playground, and laugh especially if he skinned his knee. I would put him in trashcans and call him all sorts of names. Once I even locked him in the coat closet. Took the teacher half the day to figure out were he was. He never did knock or cry to get let out. Guess he figured if he was in the closet, I wasnt bothering him.
I remember March 15 very well. It was his birthday. When it was a kids birthday, they always brought treats from home. The class would have this big birthday party right at the end of the day. Except this kid. Never brought anything for the class to share. Came in on his birthday every year and told the teacher that either his mother was too busy to make something or he forgot all about it. Some excuses! Same thing each year, the teacher would say, "I am so sorry, but I didnt bring anything either". She would give him a big hug. Made him smile. Guess that made me angry. Made me angry every year, but this year I was going to get him good. The more I thought about it the angrier I became.
By lunchtime I was furious. He had brought his usual, a puny sack lunch with one peanut butter sandwich. No chips, no drink, no fruit, just plain old peanut butter on bread. Never even had jelly on it! My friends and I asked him one time why he never had jelly and he said, "Dont think I like it." Can you imagine that? What would make someone say that they didn't THINK they would like something? Anyway back to this particular day. I always had the schools hot lunch. Today it was my favorite, hamburger, tator-tots, peaches and chocolate cake. I sat down at the next table were I was facing scrawny boy. He bowed his head as he always did, said something to his hands, it looked like. I didnt know he was praying. Then tore into that sandwich like it was the best food on earth. I took one look at his sandwich and one look at my beloved chocolate cake. Something came over me. Before I knew what I was doing, I stood up, scooped up that cake and started to walk towards him. He looked up at me expectantly. Maybe I was going to wish him "Happy Birthday" and give him cake. Maybe not. I raised my right hand and with all my might crammed that cake into his face. "Heres your birthday present from me!" I mocked. I instantly felt better. He instantly looked terribly funny. I burst out laughing and the rest of the lunchroom joined in. He just sat there, sandwich forgotten and cake all over his face. I was shining in my moment, but my moment didnt last long. While I was laughing so hard with tears rolling down my eyes, I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder. The head lunch lady, Mrs. Mendle, was a real stickler for troublemakers in her lunchroom. Which is why I was careful not to cause trouble in there before. The room got very quiet and I knew instantly that I was busted. I spent the rest of the day in the Principals office. It all somehow felt worth it at the time.
The next day as I got on the bus, I noticed that kids were crowding around him as he happily exclaimed, "My neighbor across the street gave it to me!" I pushed kids out of the way. I heard the driver sigh. I ignored him and kept moving toward my target. How dare this brat be so happy when I had humiliated him beyond belief the day before? I got to his seat and saw that he was clenching a ten-dollar bill. Now ten bucks isnt much but it was money. I reached out to take the money from him and he held it out to me. What was this kid doing? I just stood there with my jaw hitting the floor. He then stood, took a deep breath and said, "Here, I want you to have it." I didnt know what to say so I snatched it away from him.
As I was walking away he touched my arm and said, "Was going to use it to help my mom buy some groceries, but I decided that wanted to give you something."
"Huh?" was all I could reply.
"Yeah," he said, "you are the only person that pays attention to me day after day. No one talks to me or even sits by me on the bus or at lunch. But day after day, I can count on you to give me some sort of attention."
Had he went loony on me? I looked to the driver, but he just looked as puzzled as I did.
"See, when my dad died, my mom had to take two jobs just to pay the mortgage. We dont ever have much because we spend it all on the bills. So I dont see her much." He looked down at the floor and I felt in my heart he was serious. He wasnt saying this to impress me or to make me feel hurt, he was just stating facts. I never knew anything about this kid, never took the time to see why he dressed funny or never seemed to have enough food. I didnt care before. Now I felt something in my heart change. Was this guilt? I looked toward my friends at the back of the bus. They all looked at the floor.
"Here," I said as I crammed the ten back into his hand. Putting my hands into my pockets, I walked back to my seat. I was numb. One of my so-called-friends asked me why I had let him get away with that? I just told him to shut up and I stared ahead. I truly felt bad for everything. When I got home from school that day I decided I was going to repay him for all that I had done wrong.
The next morning, as I got onto the bus I felt a lump in my throat. I clutched the things I had in my hands to my chest and got on board. My old buddies started waving and carrying on as soon as they saw me. I paid them no attention and looked at the boy. He looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back.
"Can I sit here?" I asked. He motioned for me to sit as he scooted toward the window. "Here," I said, "I had my mom make these for you." I handed him my moms famous brownies. Before he could reply, I said, "I know you probably wont, but I want to ask you to forgive me for all of the rotten stuff I have done to you."
Expecting him to say no way was he ever going to forgive me, he surprised me again. "I forgive you." Came his answer. I was bewildered. He didnt stop to think about it. He just trusted that my plea for forgiveness was real. He gave me a gift the day before, not the money, love. Today he gave me forgiveness! I totally was undeserving of either, but he gave them anyway.
From that day on, Jason and I were the best of friends and I never will forget the love that he taught me to have for my self and for others.
The story about is a parable about Jesus. We are like that bully. We forget who Christ really is and we try to belittle Him. Jesus is like that little boy that got picked on. He was humiliated and tortured as He died on a cross but He gave us love. And He gave us forgiveness. All we have to do is believe that He is the Son of God and ask of His forgiveness. He will not hesitate to give us what we do not deserve! Think about it!
Written and posted by Stephanie
