Let me just say, I wish I never had to live with depression and anxiety. However, this came in seventh grade and built up in eighth grade. I was harshly bullied in eighth grade by more than half my class. I went to a small private school with only one class per grade so everybody knew everybody. There were days when the bullying wouldn't be that bad and I wouldn't feel so useless. However, there were days were the bullies were so mean that I couldn't stand the sight of anyone, including looking at myself in the mirror. I became disgusted with who I was and I thought I was totally alone in the world even though I had God, family and friends who helped me along the school year.

My depression got really bad but I didn't tell a soul because I didn't know what was going on through my head and I didn't want to freak people out. As it got worse throughout the school year, I started pushing myself into a black hole that I didn't think I'd come out of and that, at the time, I was OK with.

I remember a specific day that changed my life. It was the mile run day at school so my class and I went down to run. (I am a very slow runner.) I ran as well as I could, trying to beat the 15 minute mark. Well, I was the last one. A friend of mine ran up to me on my last half of the lap and ran the rest of the mile with me while the whole class, minus a few people, laughed. After I was done running, I had finished in the time limit. However, I wasn't proud of myself for finishing because I had girls right behind me taunting me and making fun of me. I ran to the bathroom and cried; there was nothing I could do anymore. I felt so alone, unwanted, unloved, unworthy and unappreciated. I had dug myself so deep in that hole to find a shelter of protection that I couldn't go any deeper.

The bullies had won. Depression had won.

I felt like I had no one; teachers turned a blind eye to all that was going on like they didn't know what was happening; I just gave up on myself. I went home that day, still in tears, and locked myself in my room and told myself they all think you're worthless. And who will love you... In my mind, I didn't think anyone would, ever.

Let's just say I thought many unspeakable things that a heavily depressed person would think that night, and I almost went along with them. I cried and just kept saying sorry in my head. Sorry to all the people who had bullied me, to the people who didn't do anything to help but just let it happen, to my friends, to my family. Sorry to those I had yet to meet in life. I don't think I was saying sorry for what I was about to do, looking back I see it would have caused so much pain to everyone, but sorry that they had to see me as such a worthless person, someone they could push around.

But then, right as everything could have be done and the pain would have gone away, a voice came that I had not spoken to or gone to for comfort, help, support, guidance or love. It was the one man who thought of me first. God. God spoke to me saying, "Stop, you are worth everything. You are to do great things. I have a plan for you."

I stopped for a while, in shock, and said OK. I stopped from what could have been the end to create a new start. I slept in the next morning not wanting to go to school. The principal called my mom and told her that I should come into school. My friends had told the principal what happened the previous day and she had a talk with the bullies. I went to school and sat down with the principal and she said she was sorry for not addressing the situation sooner. I went to class and my friends were happy to see me saying that they were all really worried.

The next time you think about saying something that you know will hurt someone, think about what else they could be dealing with and remember that you don't get anything good out of being nasty and mean to someone else. Next time you see someone in the halls getting taunted, stand up for them, make sure they are okay. This world needs more people to be disciples of Christ. So stand up for those who can't help to stand on their own two feet. Help people and you just might be saving someone from doing something they don't really want to do.

All in all, I have become a greater Christian from this. Yes, I still have days when I want to just stay in bed because I start to dig another hole. But I have realized over the past few years that that was the moment God is God, and he makes your plan for you, you just need to follow it and stay with him no matter what. He will carry you through the toughest storms and walk with you when there are calm seas.

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" —Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV).