No Matter the Odds

“It says right here that you shouldn’t bully people!”

-          Jake White

No Matter the Odds

The playground is crowded with children of all ages.  There are parents there; standing as stick-like sentinels on the edge of the play area with their faces pointed directly to the heart of the scene.  A tall slippery slide towers in the center like a sundial draped with giggling girls and boys.  They run around chasing each other.  They climb up and swoosh toward the earth with certain glee.

My friend Jake is there having fun.  He is a small boy of about eight years.  His fudge colored hair floats across his face as he runs and climbs.  He is of a serious nature but is still a fun-loving child.  I am amazed at how his thin build and agility allow him to seemingly float to the top of the slide and back to the ground without effort.  Then everything stopped!

Some older kids gathered at the bottom of the slide.  They taunted and teased.  The play ended.  The stick-like sentinels became statues.  It was as if all movement came to a standstill. 

Then, Jake broke away from the scene and began to walk to the family car.  Everyone gazed at him as he opened its door and grabbed something off the seat.  There was some paper clutched in his hand as he sauntered back to the slide.  He had a determined face and confidence in his walk.  He had to be confident.  He was headed to confront the bullies that had ended the fun.

He walked right up to the intimidators and showed them the paper in his hand.  It was a magazine he gets it from his church.  He pointed to a specific article and said, “It says you shouldn’t be a bully right here.”   

The adults seemed to turn into Large Mouth Bass as they watched and listened, and to everyone’s surprise the play began in a moment or two. 

Jake put his magazine in the hands of his father.  He turned with a smile and ran back to climb the ladder once again.  I watched him climb and swoosh down while thinking, “This isn’t the only ladder of success I’ll watch Jake climb.”

He was successful in at least one other way.  I was encouraged to take a stand for good and the defense of others, no matter what the odds.