A Journey To Redemption

“My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, “come along with us; let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood, let’s waylay some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse”-my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.” Proverbs 1:10-16 “These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!” Proverbs 1:18

Throughout my childhood I was smaller than average and therefore being picked on,being beaten up and being bullied were very common occurrences in my life. In the ninth grade, I was walking down an empty high school hallway when a hand grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me into an empty classroom where four seniors beat on me for several minutes. In the eleventh grade, a friend and I were walking down a dark street when several guys began to chase us and each one took a turn hitting me repeatedly in the face after we were caught. Those are just two of many examples I could give from my past. I’ve had my head busted open with rocks, metal pipes, sticks and fists and as I was repeatedly assaulted, my mental state slowly changed from being a cowering wimp into something quite different and also quite disturbing. During my early childhood I always kept my problems to myself and coped with them the best I could. In trying to cope, crying was no longer an option and compassion for others was put away somewhere deep inside my being. Pain became my friend, and even though I was too small to hit back, it was as if the blows and the punches no longer hurt me. The real pain that I felt was the mental feeling of rejection.

Click here to read more on “A Journey To Redemption” by Jesse Aldridge in LiveLiving Christian Health and Wellness eMagazine.