Sticks and Stones

You're stupid. You're ugly. You're retarded. You're gross. You talk funny. You're a giant. You're a wimp. I hate you. I wish you were never born. You're fat. No one likes you.

I just found out today that my little sister is being bullied at school. My wonderful, kind, loving little sister is being told that she's fat, ugly and stupid. It breaks my heart. I've literally been crying off and on all day just thinking about it. You'd be hard pressed to find a lovelier person than my sister. She is the most attentive, forgiving, merciful kind hearted little girl I've ever had the pleasure to meet.

She's told me about people who have hurt her before and instead of being sad about it, she said they only acted that way because they didn't know what it was like to be loved. She felt sorry for them. 

But these words have broken her spirit. They have made her feel worthless. I can't stand it because I love her so much. All I want to do is hold her in my arms and tell her how incredibly special she is.

Personally, I wanted to give them all a good spanking. How can kids be so cruel? How can they say such awful things to such a good person? Don't they know how their words will change her?

When I was a little girl I once wore a purple sweatshirt to school. A boy said I looked stupid, like Barney the dinosaur. Of course, being me, I just hit him. But that didn't help the matter. It just made him more mean because now he didn't want to look bad because a girl beat him up. He and his friends laughed at me all day calling me "Barney".

I threw that sweatshirt away. It was one of my favorite shirts. My mom bought it for me on one of our very rare trips to the store with just the two of us. (There were five of us growing up, so that was a big treat to get one on one time with a parent.) I didn't even wear the color purple again until highschool. Even now, I only have one purple shirt, and I only wear it under a green shirt as an accent color.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm still afraid of being called "Barney", but I am saying that one person's hurtful remark can have a significant, lifelong effect on you.

Parents, if your kid is being bullied or is being the bully, the answer isn't to ignore it and hope it goes away. There are more important things at stake here than someone deciding to never wear purple again. If bullying has reared its ugly head in your life in any way, talk about it, get help, make it stop. Let's give our kids a better life than the one we had.

But as for now, since I'm on the other side of the country and can't give my sister the hug I so desperately desire to give her, I hope these words from someone much better than myself can help to comfort her. I hope they help you too.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God - you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! 

~ Psalm 139:13

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.

 ~Jeremiah 29:11

What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail - even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. 

~ Luke 12:7

I have loved you with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

~Jeremiah 31:3

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit - not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength - that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love.

~ Ephesians 3:16-21

To find out more about bullying visit
http://www.stopbullying.gov/index.html