Aussie Outback Stories

Cooee! Gidday everyone. It’s Shazza the Emu. And I want to tell you all today that Jesus is my best friend. That’s right. He is always there for me when I need Him.  You see, you all know that my friend Dazza the red Kangaroo and I live in the desert. Well, the desert is like being all alone sometimes because you feel as though you are so far from everyone. I mean, there’s lots of red sand, trees, spinifex and blue sky, but there’s not many shops to visit. Too right vegemite. Some towns are 500kms a part.   But having Jesus as my friend, means He’s always with me and I don’t need shops and cities around me to not feel alone. Does that makes sense?? Well, let me explain by looking in the Bible.     Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”    The last part of Hebrews 13:5 says   “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”    The first part of Isaiah 41 :10 says  Fear not, for I am with you;  Don’t you think Jesus is trying to get something through to us all? You see, it’s everywhere in the Bible about Him being with us ALL the time.   So the next time you feel alone, just ask Jesus to be your best friend, problem solved. He will never ever let you down and He will never ever leave you.  Oky Doky, that’s it for today, I thought I’d just share that with you.   Hoorooo!  

Most of my childhood I was obese. I was bullied and teased frequently because of it. To top it off, I’m 5ft1” so people tease and joke with me about my height. A couple of times I recall someone singing to me the words, “short people got no body…short people got no body at all….”. Once when I was about to go on live television to give a speech as a teenager, the other was when it was sung behind my husband and I (my husband is short also) as we walked down a pathway together.  Bullying is very real and affects both adults and children. Words can either help you or really hurt you. Bullying words hurt so much that you become feeling unworthy about yourself and your self- esteem ends up being low. As I wrote “There Must Be Something More” from the musical Bully Overcomer, I tried to convey the feelings I had when I was bullied. The feelings of hopelessness, sadness, depression, loneliness. This is how Shazza the Emu felt when she sang this song.  Verse 1 There must be something more To this life of mine Why am I such a bore? And dragged down all the time.  Verse 2 What did I ever do? To deserve this ache in me Instead of feeling blue I wish I could be free.  Chorus Something more in my life For my mind to have peace Something more in my life For the pain to finally cease Ending / Verse 1 There must be something more To this life of mine Why am I such a bore? And dragged down all the time.  The good thing is that this was not the ending of the story for myself or Shazza. We both found the “something more” in our lives. Jesus became our best friend at an early age and we learnt to trust Him. Remember I said that words can either help you or really hurt you? Well the words in the Bible can help us.  Psalm 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; NKJV  Joshua 1:9  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” NKJV  Don’t be afraid of words that tear you down and make you feel awful; believe the Word of Life, Jesus, instead. Allow Him to be your best friend today just like how Shazza and I did. I may be still short but the GREATER One lives inside me which makes me so much bigger on the inside than any words that could be said to or about me.  Julie McAllan