It’s a sad day in my town.

News spread quickly last night that a young 14 year old girl took her own life. The cause of death has been attributed to bullying.

Bullying.

Now I cannot say that this is the entire cause of death. Did she suffer from depression? Were there other circumstances in her life? I don’t know. But we do know bullying was part of it.

It’s not right.

I know there have been times in my life when I’ve been the bully. I also know there are there are larger portions of time when I have been bullied.

Why?

I didn’t fit into the “proper category”. I was a jock who didn’t live in the gym. I was a nerd who was good at sports. I didn’t go to the cool parties. I didn’t drink or smoke. I was “different” than the people I was around a good deal of the time.

Why is it this way? Why is being different when you are growing up so bad?

We live in a world who adores and worships those who are “different” than the norm. Look at the people who reach fame in reality shows because they look or sound different than the rest of the contestants. Can anyone say “Prince Poppycock”?

Bullying hurts.

Bullying breaks people down and tears them apart. It destroys confidence. It destroys esteem. It crushes hopes and dreams. It begins a downward spiral that many cannot get out of. For some, they fall so far there is only one way out.

Here’s what I want people to know.

It’s not over. The bottom is not the end. There is a way out aside from suicide. There are many people who care for and love you. There is help out there. Friends. Family. Teachers. Professionals. Many people who want you to live and more importantly, they want you to be who you are.

I’m not going to make a big religious post out of this, but know this.

You are loved.

God has you on this earth for a purpose. The world may not see it. The people who are in your face pushing you down, they don’t see it. Your family may not see it. You may not even see it yet. You are here for a purpose. You are here to make the world a better place, and your time will come.

One of my favourite songs is Mercy Me’s “Beautiful”.

Give it a listen. Know that you are not alone in this. People want you to live and love. God wants you to live. I want you to live. Even if we’ve never met, I look forward to seeing how you will touch the world with your gifts.

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