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Topic: First Day of School (06/28/04)
TITLE: My First Day Of High School By Barbara Ann Smith 06/28/04 |
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The week goes by quickly. It's Monday morning and I'm dressing for school. I put on a casual dress and pull my hair back in a ponytail. I walk to the bus stop; all the kids there are standing around in their new clothes. All of the girls have on their new low cuts and mini-tops exposing a lot of their body. One girl teased, "You're not going to get a date dressed in those clothes. Did you forget to dress this morning?" I wanted to cry but I held my head high and gave her a kind smile. She replies, "Are you laughing at me?" I kept my eyes on her and replied, "No, I'm trying to be friendly with you." She turns and starts whispering to the other girls and they all turn around to laugh at me. I keep a smile on my face and don't respond.
My first day of high school was miserable because in each class the girls' poked fun of me in my casual attire, little make-up, and my hair pulled back with a matching ribbon. One girl commented, "You know Martha, you're in high school now," I felt I didn't want to ever go back to school. This big lump was in my throat, I held back the tears until I got off the bus, and then I let the tears roll. As I stood under an oak tree in the shade, I saw these initials engraved on the tree's trunk, WWJD, I thought about those initials all the way home but didn't know what they meant. I got my composure before getting back to the house; I didn't want my family to see my hurt. As I entered the house, I ask Mom, "What does WWJD mean? Have you ever heard those words?" Mom look surprised and responded, "Where did you see those words written?" I replied, "On an oak tree when I came home from school." A smile, and an answer, "It means, What Would Jesus Do?"
The next morning, I put on my high cut jeans and a pullover top, left for the bus stop. Arriving, the girls started laughing and pointing at my pants and top. I stood silent, tears scream to roll down my cheeks, but I held them as tight as I could inside my lids. Then the girls asked, "Are you expecting a draft - you're wrapped up like it's winter?" I turned, looked each of them in their eyes and replied, "What would Jesus want me to wear to school?" The sniggering girls hung their heads down and never poked fun of my clothes again. Jesus saw my need, and sent His message to let me know He was there and He was still in command.