I got this from a girl in our youth group that goes to a local high school:
"A couple days ago a young boy named Caleb from Grifton attempted suicide because of the kids at school picking on him... I don't know him but I do know he's in a coma and they don't think he'll make it, can you guys please pray for him, his family and friends and please pray for the people that drove him to do this...they need Gods help along with Caleb."
My heart felt so much weight when I read this...
I just don't understand why? Why do we feel the need to degrade and humiliate others? What do we get out of it? What makes us act this way?
Growing up, I wasn't overly popular or pretty. I was normal...I had great friends and was pretty much a fit with any of the "clicks" in my class. I was smart enough to fit with the "BRAINS", dorky and crazy enough to fit with the "NERDS", bubbly and athletic enough to fit with the "JOCKS". So, I didn't deal too much with being picked on or feeling like I was an outcast. I guess I was lucky. There were others in my class who weren't so lucky...
I remember this boy in our class named Tony. He was a mentally challenged kid who had this huge crush on a popular girl in the class. She was a cheerleader, dated a jock, had looks, brains, was funny, sweet, etc. She had it all! One day, the guys were teasing Tony about asking her out and that she would definitely say yes because she secretly had a big crush on him...and so on. Well, the girl, Vicki, heard about this. She was so mad!!! But, she wasn't mad about the lying of her having a crush on him. She was angry at the guys for teasing Tony and making him believe something that would eventually embarrass and humiliate him. She BLASTED these boys (one of which was her boyfriend!). She stood up to these guys and stood in the gap for Tony.
I have never forgotten what she did. She probably doesn't even remember it. It probably didn't make that big of an impact on her...it did on me! I remember her as being sure enough of herself to stand up for someone else even at the cost of her looking silly.
Kids, ask yourself this question "Is your fear of not being cool so big that you are willing to let someone else get hurt (or worse)?"
Every single one of us has felt left out, lonely, on the outside, forgotten, alone - at one time of another in their life.
Every single one of us has wished, wanted, waited - for someone to step up for us and just let us know that we are not alone.
Every single one of us are a precious, cherished, loved - creation of God and needs to be treated as such.
So come on kids, stop being a weak minded person who let's peer pressure sway you to be someone that you're not. STEP UP AND STAND UP FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES!
