Thankful today for a childhood friend . . . He stopped some bullies on the playground when I was in the second grade. Timothy Lane Smith wrote an article about bullies for his newspaper column and it caused me to recall my experiences . . . I have told this story a few times . . . but I cant remember if I wrote it down . . . If I have, please look past it . . . Blessings my friends. My Childhood Friend, Wes Asters Mrs. Moore was my second grade teacher, way back in the 60’s. I had difficulty reading then. School, as I remember, just wasn’t very easy, when I was starting out . . . The experience of school was even more difficult on the playground though. I experienced the taunting, teasing and even tormenting of others. I would, at times, play by myself to avoid the jeers of my classmates. There have been times when I wondered why I was picked out as the weakling. I was actually small for my age back then. It wasn’t until Christy and I raised some little Quail birds that I realized how bullying takes place at many levels. We had a bunch of eggs hatch early one morning in the incubator; it was overrunning with tiny little birds. Christy and I moved them to the brooder we made. They were fun to watch at first. The little fuzzy birds would run about, almost aimlessly. And when they got tired they would just fall on their faces. They would lie on the bottom of the brooder for a while, till they gained their strength again. And the process would start all over. It looked like a cartoon almost. They did this until they grew a bit. That’s when the bullying began. There was one little bird whose foot didn’t fully develop. He was smaller. He would run in circles, rather than the straight lines. It didn’t take too long till the other birds discovered his vulnerability. Of course we couldn’t watch the birds all the time. We returned to the brooder and the little bird with the different foot was dead. It was obvious that he had been pecked until he died. There was a time that I felt like the little bird, picked on by others. I never wanted to die. I just wanted to be accepted. I wanted to be included in the play with others. My voice wasn’t strong enough to compete with the threats of the many that picked on me. That’s when Wes stepped in. To this day, I am grateful for my childhood friend Wes. Wes was one of those who came from the popular side of town. He had social standing with the other kids. And he had strength I didn’t have. I shall never forget what Wes did on the playground. He said, “Leave Jeff alone. If you want to fight him, you have to fight with me first. Don’t lay a hand on him.” I never had another problem, not even into Junior or Senior High. To this day, each time I talk with Wes, I tell him thank you. The first time I told him thanks for what he did, he didn’t even remember protecting me. I also thank God for Wes, even till this day. Wes’ protection allowed me to experience peace. Wes accepted me for me. He offered security, even justice and mercy so that I didn’t have to worry about bullies anymore. Wes was like a Christ-figure to me. I can see that now. Then I just knew I didn’t have to worry about things with Wes around. Christ came to be like us, to protect us, and to give us the assurance that he will never leave us or forsake us. He came to offer us peace, even when we are threatened by the bully of the world. He came to take away our fears. He came to offer life, even joy for life. In the church, we practice this by the way we treat each other, how we encourage each other, and how we support each other. In the safety of the sanctuary, we can find release from the scares and memories of the past as we worship together. Some of us are carrying fears and doubts from years ago. And we can bring those to the altar and leave them there. I believe the church plays a role in helping persons find healing and wholeness. We foster that environment every time we gather to worship. As we live to be the church, the physical presence of Christ, let us remember the least, the last, and the lost. Let us practice being Christ to those who don’t have someone to speak for them. Let us reflect Christ in our words and our ways. And finally: Let us not use our own position or power to bully others . . . My prayer today: May someone see Christ in me, as I speak for the least, the last, and the lost, serving with authenticity and humility.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 20:27:35 +0000
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