Being bullied as an adult, by adults, has been a devastating experience, but it also has benefitted me in ways I never expected. I know… who knew there were advantages of being bullied? Here’s what I’ve learned.
This by far, will be one of the hardest blogs I’ve ever done. But I pray it will bring healing and comfort to anyone who’s gone through the same tragic situation – being bullied.
For many years I’ve talked about bullying to teens across the country, but it was a topic I didn’t spend much time on. I would go through the description of both physical and emotional bullying and explain the devastation it could lead to, like depression and suicide. When I was a kid, I can’t remember being bullied besides some minor teasing and one major altercation on a play ground in middle school.
As children or adults, we see some advantages of being bullied
I didn’t fully understand what victims of bullying lived through until recently. I now have a deeper compassion for those being bullied and harassed than ever before. I pray God will use my story to help bring healing to others.
I went through some of the most hellish times I have ever gone through back in January of 2014.
That year began with my husband revealing several major things he was struggling with and it completely blindsided me. I had just had my 4th baby in 4 years. Both his parents and mine live many states away and I felt completely alone, fried and frustrated. A week later, our local school called and asked if I could do a last minute, urgent assembly for the middle and high schools in town because of all the sexting, pregnancies, bullying and other major issues they were having with some of their students. I worked over 60 hours preparing for the following week’s assemblies which actually helped me heal from the news the week before. God kept telling me to focus on what He’s called me to do and He will take care of the rest.
Shortly after speaking I found out that a woman I considered a close friend, said some things about me in the community that devastated me. My credibility as a speaker was attacked, school board members were called and told lies regarding my mothering skills (the lies could have invoked law enforcement) and my income was somehow mass texted and shared on Facebook (the numbers were way off). Up to a year later I received emails asking if I paid my taxes and was kosher with the IRS. (I’ve always paid my taxes). One of Luke’s prominent clients was informed that we can’t manage our finances and was asked how Luke could be trusted (we manage our finances with excellence). This person also told me she was furious I got pregnant the same time she did and told me I was her competition in this town. I was heart broken. I really looked up to and respected this person.
