Bullies

The NY Times has a very sad story here called, A Boy the Bullies Love to Beat Up, Repeatedly.

Public school or not, as a parent, I know I will have to deal with this type of thing at some point.

I pray that my son would know and be secure in the love of God. May he not fear man, for what can man do to us? May he only fear the One who is worthy to be feared: God alone. May his confidence be in the truth of God's word concerning himself and not what some horribly insecure kid says to him on the playground. May he have the confidence to stand up for what is right and the courage to support those who are oppressed and abused. May he defend the weak and be clothed with mercy for the marginalized. May he know that no matter what, that his Mom and Dad love him and our home will always be a place of security and refuge.

Owen Strachan has a good commentary on this article here. He writes:

We should remember, perhaps, our own histories, and run our minds over our own scars. As parents, we should be prepared to stand up with great force and courage for our children. I'm thankful that my own parents were always there for me. We've got to teach our children to defend themselves, even as we teach them to, when possible, suffer reproach for the gospel. Most of all, we need simply to think--to think about our children's souls and the way they will be shaped by the childhood years in which we shepherd them. Education is important, after all, but at what price does it come?