Not Even For A Million Dollars

Recently I had the privilege of speaking to a young lady ready for High School.   I encouraged her that her worst days are now behind her.... at least what I experienced.

You could not pay me a million dollars to go back to Jr. High.

I missed school every opportunity I had, and that was a lot.  I hated eighth grade so much I only went one quarter.  

I was tremendously blessed when my principal said, "if you can pass a test, you can skip the rest of eighth grade."  That man was led of God.  I passed the test with a 99%.   Although high school was difficult, it was nothing compared to what I suffered in Jr. High.

Parents perk up, especially if you have girls:  I think that middle school aged girls are some of the cruelest girls on earth. I would come home daily saying "they all hate me."  My wise mother would say, "Who?  give me names", I could probably come up with one, maybe two, but that wasn't everybody.  She would then say back to me, "well then stay away from them and hang with ____."

When I was in seventh grade, there was girl, wow, she was mean, I can see one girl's face to this day.  I think her name was Bernice, but not my current friend, well that Bernice had harassed my sister at Chemawa Middle School a few years earlier.  (point proved)  Anyway, the girl I went to school with wanted to cheat, and asked me for the answer.  I whispered what I thought was the answer, but it was wrong - which we found out when she said the answer out loud.  She was mad and was sure that I had given her the wrong answer on purpose.  I had no idea why she and her cohorts were boycotting me.

As an adult, I used to buy the cutest clothes for one little girl who informed me that she would not wear pink.  I found out that ONE girl in her class had pronounced pink to be a stupid color, therefore, no one may wear pink.  By denouncing pink, she had joined the revolution, and looked down on girls wearing pink.

These are true stories:  Another class, well they were just probably the cruelest group of little girls I had ever worked with.  There was not an innocent one in the bunch - back stabbing followers of which ever hen had pecked her way to the top that week.   Thank God they've grown up.


I was clueless, but not innocent.  Apparently I left a great wake of collateral damage.  Here I was thinking I was the victim, and now have heard that I was a persecutor.  This is probably true because with all of the groups of kids I have worked with, I see very few innocent ones.   Girls have to learn their position on the social ladder at these ages.   Just as quickly as one is her best friend, next week it will be another girl, and they will be laughing at last week's bestie.

I used the analogy of a hen house.   Each hen pecks her way to the top of the ladder, or to be queen bee. The subsequent hens then peck their way to their spot on the ladder or in the hierarchy.  When I was about 12, I came home and declared that my mother had embarrassed me in front of the queen of the hen house.  My mom was on the platform at church.  She was a cheerleader for God.  If you know my mom, timid does not describe her.   My mother, in her wisdom said, "do you want me to do the will of God, or appease one 7th grader".... I think it is ironic that now, that same girl who was a hen pecker, is now a praise leader, on the platform, a cheerleader for God."

I think every female that has been through Jr. High most likely has similar stories.  The most impressive aspect of each story?  We lived through it.   Kind of like that saying/song, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."   Hopefully most of us have learned our lessons, and do our best not to participate in the constant hen pecking that continues into adult hood.  As I remember when I hit about 15/16 I had an idea of who I was, and no longer fell under the hen house rules.


Growing up is hard.  Continuing to grow up is still a challenge.  Every day I move into a place where I have never been.  Right now my challenge is learning balance with my college aged son.  Yesterday it was helping my eighth grader pass Algebra.  Every day gives us something new.

God gives us the strength to endure every day.  He gives us the wisdom, the understanding, and the direction if we will ask for it.

Proverbs 1:  (The proverbs) 
Their purpose is to teach wisdom and discipline, to help one understand wise sayings. 
They provide insightful instruction, which is righteous, just, and full of integrity, 
They make the naive mature, the young knowledgeable and discreet; 
The wise hear them and grow in wisdom;  those with understanding gain guidance.  
They help one understand the difficult sayings, the words of the wise and their puzzles. 
Wisdom begins with the reverence of the Lord, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Now go tackle that challenge with the wisdom God gave you!

K
4     
7