Being brave

Shaya

I go to school in Australia. I have a nice school where people are usually kind. But there was a boy in my class who wasn’t being treated very well. The kids in the class were teasing him about his race and culture. Nobody wanted to be with him, and he often played alone at lunch time.

I didn’t like how he was being bullied. We have many different cultures at our school, and I wanted everyone to be respected and treated nicely. I thought how he must hate coming to school each day. I told my mom and dad, and they said we should never stand by and let someone be bullied and not even try to do something. I decided to do a speech. That night I wrote down all my ideas.

When I thought of giving the speech, I felt very nervous. My dad and I spoke about Moses in the Bible. He needed to lead a whole nation of people, and he was really nervous. But God gave him the courage and the words he needed.

We also spoke about David who, with God’s help, took on the giant Goliath. Dad and I prayed to know that God had already given me the courage and confidence to speak. I saw that I didn’t need to be afraid of what the other kids might say to me for standing up for this boy. We also thought about how God loves everyone, even kids who act like bullies. We also read a line from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. It said, “Moral courage is requisite to meet the wrong and to proclaim the right” (p. 327 ). I knew that I wanted to stop the wrong that was happening in my class and that God would give me all the strength and words and thoughts to do it.

The next day the boy was out, so I asked my teacher if I could speak to the class. She said that it was a lovely thing to do. My older brother, Taine, came and stood next to me. I spoke to the whole class about being kind and not teasing the boy. After I finished, they clapped. From that moment on, the boy has not been left out and kids don’t make nasty comments to him. He has friends and enjoys coming to school.

I am pleased that I go to Sunday School, where I learn that God is always present and that we can turn to Him with any need.

About the author

Shaya loves to play soccer, cricket, and netball. She also loves to dance and play with her brother, sister, and two dogs.

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