BILLY THE BULLY (a short story from life's experience)
Well, what can I say? This goes way back to the early 1960s, when I lived in Chappaqua, N.Y. At that time, a peaceful place (and probably still is) with the milk man coming to leave milk in the milk box. A time when postage was 4 cents. AM radio was still the most popular. Mom always had the radio set at WVIP. School was OK. Neighbors were friendly, except for "Billy," who lived up the street, only two houses across the road.
Billy had two sisters, Betsy and Annie. But for some reason, Billy didn't like me and convinced his friend, Ned, not to like me either. So, they teamed up to scare me and bother me, and just pick on me. We never had a fight, mind you, but only timidation. My best defense was to run. I could run fast. My dad wanted to teach me how to fight, but fighting was not my cup of tea. Just leave me alone, let me live my life in peace, and be a kid. Unfortunately, the few friends I did have lived in faraway neighborhoods, across the railroad tracks.
But does one have to have a reason to hate another, or to pick on another? Does a lamb offend a serpent so as to make it strike? Satan struck the Son of Man, and the heel was bruised, yet the Son of David returned with the death blow in three days. Yet Satan still bullies and accuses the brethren.
The Nation of Israel has been hated by other nations, the Jewish people have been persecuted and bullied by many, yet God has been faithful and has kept the promise of Abraham. "I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you." The Hebraic rendition reads;
"I will bless those who bless you, and to those who offend thee I will utterly destroy"
One day, I realized that God had been looking down from Heaven and had been observing Ned and Billy. God had compassion on me and decided to take action. Mom came home one day from shopping and said:
"Billy was stung by a hornet." I felt good now, " Vengeance is mine, sayeth the LORD." I did not fight, yet the LORD fought for me, and used a hornet to do the job. Exodus 23:28 states;
And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
Now, one hornet may not have driven Billy away from the neighborhood, but he didn't bother me much afterwards. I wrote to Betsy about 10 years ago, and she said that she hadn't heard from Billy in years. I found where Ned was living. Somewhere in Ohio. His wife told me he went to Bible College and became a believer. He opened up a stationery store. She could not believe he had ever been a bully. One time on the playground, Ned cornered me and told me to give the Devil the middle finger, because he deserved it, so we both gave the Devil the middle finger, pointing down to the ground.
Well, wherever Ned and Billy are today, I forgive them both.
Well, what can I say? This goes way back to the early 1960s, when I lived in Chappaqua, N.Y. At that time, a peaceful place (and probably still is) with the milk man coming to leave milk in the milk box. A time when postage was 4 cents. AM radio was still the most popular. Mom always had the radio set at WVIP. School was OK. Neighbors were friendly, except for "Billy," who lived up the street, only two houses across the road.
Billy had two sisters, Betsy and Annie. But for some reason, Billy didn't like me and convinced his friend, Ned, not to like me either. So, they teamed up to scare me and bother me, and just pick on me. We never had a fight, mind you, but only timidation. My best defense was to run. I could run fast. My dad wanted to teach me how to fight, but fighting was not my cup of tea. Just leave me alone, let me live my life in peace, and be a kid. Unfortunately, the few friends I did have lived in faraway neighborhoods, across the railroad tracks.
But does one have to have a reason to hate another, or to pick on another? Does a lamb offend a serpent so as to make it strike? Satan struck the Son of Man, and the heel was bruised, yet the Son of David returned with the death blow in three days. Yet Satan still bullies and accuses the brethren.
The Nation of Israel has been hated by other nations, the Jewish people have been persecuted and bullied by many, yet God has been faithful and has kept the promise of Abraham. "I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you." The Hebraic rendition reads;
"I will bless those who bless you, and to those who offend thee I will utterly destroy"
One day, I realized that God had been looking down from Heaven and had been observing Ned and Billy. God had compassion on me and decided to take action. Mom came home one day from shopping and said:
"Billy was stung by a hornet." I felt good now, " Vengeance is mine, sayeth the LORD." I did not fight, yet the LORD fought for me, and used a hornet to do the job. Exodus 23:28 states;
And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
Now, one hornet may not have driven Billy away from the neighborhood, but he didn't bother me much afterwards. I wrote to Betsy about 10 years ago, and she said that she hadn't heard from Billy in years. I found where Ned was living. Somewhere in Ohio. His wife told me he went to Bible College and became a believer. He opened up a stationery store. She could not believe he had ever been a bully. One time on the playground, Ned cornered me and told me to give the Devil the middle finger, because he deserved it, so we both gave the Devil the middle finger, pointing down to the ground.
Well, wherever Ned and Billy are today, I forgive them both.