In every child's life, there comes the time for an encounter with bullies. It's a fact of life and all the ad campaigns and positive messaging in the world will never eliminate it completely. Some kids enjoy a mean-spirited version of fun.
It came as no surprise to me that on a bone chilling, brutally cold morning, I received what all children come to expect when exhaling creates frosty imitations of cumulus clouds climbing high into the atmosphere. As I dutifully waited at the bus stop for the familiar ride on the "yellow greyhounds" to school, a sharp pain erupted behind my left ear. The burst of agony brought a few wet crystals to my eyes, otherwise known as tears.
Some wise guy twice my size had just delivered a resounding thump to my earlobe. My misery, however, was quickly abated when I turned to see the young bully pinned to a metal pole by my older brother, who usually appreciated a good prank. This one had struck a nerve that I was delighted to behold.
He expressed his lack of appreciation to the fellow in no uncertain terms and eventually released him, only after issuing some threats that physical harm would come into play should my earlobes ever enter his mind again.
I couldn't help myself. As soon as my tears dried, which takes little time in 30 degree air, I took shelter behind my brother and imagined myself to be Muhammad Ali, floatin' like a butterfly and stingin' like a bee. I pictured punching the bully with one graceful jab after another until he was down for the count.
Had I attempted this in reality, I would have more resembled Curly, of the Three Stooges, doing his delightfully awkward shuffle right after Moe had poked him in the eyes. But, when someone bigger has your back, you can afford a slight exaggeration of your prowess.
A few years later, some idiot decided to give me a good switching as I walked the sidewalk, headed to class. I took a few lashes to the back of my leg before I heard the creepy fellow uttering a strange grunt. A very muscular young man, Jesse Solomon, had him in mid-air and was tossing him like a sheet of crumpled notebook paper into the nearby shrubs.
Jesse went on to make good money in the NFL, doing similar things to his opponents. No matter whose jersey he wore, I always saw that kid flying helplessly in the air while Jesse was inviting him to try a switch on him. He was famous in my eyes long before football made him a familiar name in the pages of Sports Illustrated.
I appreciate the good memories that come from knowing help will show up when I least expect it. God has worked a lot like that in my life. Plenty of situations have bullied me briefly into a corner, but God always rights the ship, just in the nick of time.
Like you, I despise being overwhelmed or controlled by things that seem bigger and stronger than me. I need reminding that "greater is He who lives within me than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4)
One beautiful aspect of this verse is that my God is never far away. In fact, He never leaves me because He has made my heart His permanent residence. This doesn't mean that the bullies won't inflict some pain now and then, but it does mean they will not win the day. Only when I try winning the battle with my own efforts do I consistently lose. My "Curly Shuffle" works great in my imagination, but only Jesus can give my troublesome foes an authoritative shove, leaving them lost in the shrubs of the hedge of protection that surrounds me.