Elohim November 2015 | Page 42

If bullying continues, tell someone, preferably a trusted adult. Tell your parents, a trusted teacher, counsellor, or principal. Within several weeks, after rededicating her life back to God and then utilizing the strategies her counsellor had given her to combat the bullies, my daughter’s confidence came back. She developed new friendships and her once tiny circle of friends grew. Eventually her group of friends was much larger than the “bully group” and as such the “safety in numbers” factor cut in. The bullies lost interest in tormenting her, and on occasion if they tried to intimidate her, she was no longer afraid of telling on them. She got her “no quit” attitude back and it propelled her through the rest of the year and has remained with her ever since. A while back I was on Facebook and noticed that one of my daughter’s Facebook “friends” was one of the girls who had bullied her that fateful year in middle school. I must admit I Page 42 was quite surprised to see that my daughter was actually corresponding back and forth with her quite regularly. I marveled how God had helped her come to a place in her life where she could forgive and forget so completely. When I commented about it to her, she just smiled. My daughter has had opportunity through the years to share her testimony regarding that bullying experience. God has given her great sensitivity and compassion towards those young people who are victims of bullying. She shares how angry she was at me for reading in her diary, but how glad she is that I did. She shares how God brought people in to her life to help her, to encourage her and to love her at a time when she thought she was all alone. And lastly she tells them’ “Don’t give up! Don’t quit!” Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ` Used with permission. http://articles.faithwriters.com/reprint-article-details.php?id= 21017 Develop other friendships and stick up for each other.