J is for - Just Speak Up

So you overheard a classmate make an incredibly mean comment to a girl in your school. The girl is alone a lot. She doesn’t have many friends and you see her in the hallways walking by herself.

The comment was not said in jest, but was meant to hurt. What do you do? You don’t really know the girl who is now looking at you to see if you heard it too. She is silently hoping that someone would stand up for her. Your eyes meet, and you can actually see the physical blow that those words caused and how they effected her. Her shoulders slump a little lower. What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

You turn to look at the boy who utter those hate filled words. His group of friends were around him. Was he trying to look cool in front of his friends? You wonder why someone like him--who has it all going on could say something so mean. He has nice clothes and is good looking. You think someone like him-- with all that going for him wouldn’t even bother. With his group of friends and life treating him so well, what could go wrong in his world to make him lash out so viciously to someone he doesn’t know.

So you gather your courage and you find your voice. The words tumble out of your mouth. “That is mean! What’s your problem?! Why would you say that?!”

Then you realize his group of friends have stopped talking and are focused on you. Blood rushes to your face. You can feel the heat of the blush on your cheeks with all the attention focused on you. It is now quiet except for your heart pounding in your chest. Then you see the girl. There is a glimmer of hope in her eyes as a single tear slides down her cheek. You continue, “How could you say that to her? That she should go home and kill herself, the world would be a better place without her?! What if she went home and did that?!”

Ironically that’s exactly what she was thinking about lately. She had been thinking the same dark thoughts before the boy said them. She had had enough of being alone in a crowd.

But all that just changed with your words. You found the courage to speak for her. Your courage gave the lonely girl courage to face another day.

The boy said, “What do you know?!” He moves on with his crowd of followers laughing. Maybe he won’t learn anything and will just go on being mean. But some of his friends look at him different now. He is not as cool as he thinks he is.

When in reality he had said the same thing to himself last night after the umpteenth fight with his dad. How easy it would be to just drive his car off the road. Would his dad even care?

The girl mumbles, “Thanks.” and turns to go, but you say, “Hey wait up…” Later at home you reflect about the exchange of words today. Of course, we don’t always see the whole picture, but what a change took place just by finding the courage to speak up. You say a prayer for the girl to find courage to face tomorrow. You also say a prayer for the boy that he finds the courage to be kind. Then you thank God for giving you the courage to speak up. 

Encourage Someone Today