Something that was supposed to be a life changing experience - going to middle school - turned out to be the opposite of what I expected. I know God is always with me, but I forgot that when this horrible situation happened in my life. I spent all summer preparing to finally ride the bus; no more being dropped off by my mom. I was finally out of uniforms. Been in uniforms since Pre-K. I spent time learning the buildings and class rooms from my older brother who had attended there years before. I was trying hard not to be a lost freshman.

I only picked Musical Theatre because I figured it would be an easy A. What I thought would be a year of learning the most boring show tunes and singing with a group of Alto’s turned out to be NOT what I thought it was. But what I learned is that you may sing well together onstage, but it doesn’t mean you will be treated well offstage. I because even though you think you can trust somebody you really can’t, and here’s why. I didn’t want to write about this but I can’t take it out of my brain. So, here’s the thing. No one wants to get bullied and sometimes you don’t see it happening until it’s too late. But it happened to me. I thought middle school would be the best time of my life. Don’t get me wrong, there were some good times like the Honor Roll Breakfast, lunchtime, seeing my History teacher and leaving musical theatre.

But this particular time was the worst. Here’s my story. I was hanging out with an older group of girls for a while and honestly thought I met some real friends. BOY WAS I WRONG! Turns out the leader of the girl group didn’t like me and she would say, in front of the other girls, what she didn’t like about me. I felt like a helpless, tiny, little, six grader, about to break down and cry. I kept it in and took all the comments. But she didn’t stop there. She made all the other girls express what they didn’t like about me. So now everyone gets a turn to hurt me. By the time everyone was done, I broke down and it hurt in so many ways. Why was this happening to me? In elementary school I was friends with everyone. But those times seemed like years had gone by. Honestly, I’ve never gotten bullied before and honestly, I wish I would have been more tough. I wasn’t scared of her. This girl got in trouble, didn’t like people, and would fight everybody who made her mad. So, if you know me, I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to be on her bad side.

What if I lose? What if I ruin my grades? What if no one helps me? I had no confidence and trust me I was going to go down. Have you seen this girl fight? My faith was being tested more than it ever has been. Yet, in all the injustice and betrayals, God continues to be faithful to us. This whole story was painful for me but it taught me a lot of things. Joseph tells his brothers in Genesis 50 verse 20, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” In a small way, I can relate to this.

Today, I’m an WAAAAYYYYY stronger. I, now, know what type of people I want around me. People who love Christ, who get good grades, treat others with respect and most importantly love to eat. I stay away from people who have no regard for Christ and constantly make poor decisions. I’m now am in seventh grade. I am fearless and ready to go to the next phase of my life- eight grade, even though it’s not going to be easy. I’m equipped with the right tools. I now remember to stand on God’s Word. I’m a part of a group of friends where I feel safe and we will protect each other, and that my parents are a phone call away. No need to handle life on my own. Not yet, anyway.

Like Joseph, God is always with me even when I lose my way for a bit. He will never let me down.