Grace Point! May 2015 | Page 19

by Olivia Carpenter Who Peed in Their Cheerios If you've ever been in high school, you've probably heard the phrase, Who peed in their cheerios? Not many people know this, but there's a lot of truth behind it. Have you ever been bullied? I know I have. In fact, I've been bullied by the same girl for roughly 5 years. I'm not sure when it all started, but I know it was bullying, & I know that it wasn't right. This girl would isolate other classmates & myself from our groups of friends. She wanted just ONE friend, never more, never less. She would only use them when she needed them, then just drop them when she was done with them. Does this sound familiar? Satan has done the exact same thing. Most of the time, it isn't YOU that has done anything wrong. Usually, it has to do with the bullies home or family environment, not yours. Someone peed in their cheerios. It wasn't until my mother signed me up for self defense classes, that I realized I didn't have to put up with this. That I could defend myself. Not with violence, but with the way I carry myself. With confidence, kindness, honesty, & just the right amount of integrity. God doesn't want you to be inconsiderate & judgemental, but he doesn't want you to be a bump on a log, either. There are times when you have to stand up for yourself. Not with violence or ruefulness, but with truth and understanding. It took me 5 years to stand up to my bully, but when I did, it was healing, so I know it was the truth. You may not know this either, but Jesus himself was bullied. Throughout his whole life, he was constantly being bullied. And, every single time, he told the truth. He stood up to the bully in the most perfect way possible. He wasn't rude, or judgemental, when he talked to his bullies. He was honest and truthful when he dealt with them. He asked them to prove him wrong. Even when he was nailed to the cross, even when he was publicly humiliated, harasses and tortured, he didn't resort to rudeness or vulgarity. He asked God to forgive them. Jesus knew that the bullies didn't know any better. In the 21st century, when people do something wrong, like bullying, they usually don't know any better. Maybe they were raised being bullied, so they think that is how they have to treat everyone. Or, maybe they just want something you have, and have no way to get it. So, they are ruled by jealousy. Everything we will ever go through, Jesus has already gone through already. If you ever find yourself being a target of bullying, think of this scripture from Ephesians 4:29: Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such a is good for building up, as it fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 19