It's Take-a-Troll-to-Lunch Day
I attended a retreat today for members of the community council for a service group. One exercise was to take the word "run" and write several words we associate with it.
As a former long-distance runner, my words were things like marathon, jog, trot, trophy, fitness, exercise. Across the room sat a Metro Councilman. His words had to do with election, meeting, chairman, campaign, vote. He and I own different perspectives and backgrounds. He lives in the same neighborhood as me, but in a sense, he comes from a different place.
That's an important learning for me, who still struggles sometimes with people who are radically different. I'm more understanding and less judgemental than I used to be, but I still have to deal with a few trolls under my bridge.
"Trolls aren't bad people; they're just people I don't really understand. Here's the deal: it's how we treat the trolls in our lives that will let us know how far along we are in our faith....
"There are plenty of people I don't understand. I suppose some are trolls and some aren't. God doesn't see people the way I do, though. The ones I see as problems, God sees as sons and daughters, made in His image. The fact is, what skews my view of people who are sometimes hard to be around is that God is working on different things in their lives than He is working on in mine." (Everybody Always, by Bob Goff, https://bobgoff.com.)
Wow, let that sink in. The people who rub me the wrong way don't rub God the wrong way. God is working on me and the character traits I need to improve, while He works on different traits in others.
I worked the Twelve Steps. Maybe some of the trolls I meet haven't worked them or aren't even ready to work them. God, may I be more understanding of others' journeys.
Instead of "run," list some words you associate with "troll." My name may well be on some of those lists. That's okay. Please accept me for who I am -- so far.
As a former long-distance runner, my words were things like marathon, jog, trot, trophy, fitness, exercise. Across the room sat a Metro Councilman. His words had to do with election, meeting, chairman, campaign, vote. He and I own different perspectives and backgrounds. He lives in the same neighborhood as me, but in a sense, he comes from a different place.
That's an important learning for me, who still struggles sometimes with people who are radically different. I'm more understanding and less judgemental than I used to be, but I still have to deal with a few trolls under my bridge.
"Trolls aren't bad people; they're just people I don't really understand. Here's the deal: it's how we treat the trolls in our lives that will let us know how far along we are in our faith...."There are plenty of people I don't understand. I suppose some are trolls and some aren't. God doesn't see people the way I do, though. The ones I see as problems, God sees as sons and daughters, made in His image. The fact is, what skews my view of people who are sometimes hard to be around is that God is working on different things in their lives than He is working on in mine." (Everybody Always, by Bob Goff, https://bobgoff.com.)
Wow, let that sink in. The people who rub me the wrong way don't rub God the wrong way. God is working on me and the character traits I need to improve, while He works on different traits in others.
I worked the Twelve Steps. Maybe some of the trolls I meet haven't worked them or aren't even ready to work them. God, may I be more understanding of others' journeys.
Instead of "run," list some words you associate with "troll." My name may well be on some of those lists. That's okay. Please accept me for who I am -- so far.
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