Recently, my biggest fan (e.g., anonymous
poster from Oregon City) claimed that I was “trolling the FOC.” So, here you
go: a free vocabulary lesson from your favorite blogger:
In Internet
slang, a troll is someone who posts
inflammatory, extraneous,
or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat
room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an
emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic
discussion [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)].
In 1999, when I left the FOC for good, I
moved to a nice community in Lake Oswego and soon began attending Mountain Park
Church. In early 2000, I made a conscious decision to follow Jesus. I was
baptized later that year.
In the Spring of 2001, a former NFL player
came to our church to teach a class on Christian apologetics. Apologetics is a
lot like evangelism in its aim, but it is different in that the course trained
us to respond to objections to the faith. On the first day of class, the leader
(I cannot remember his name – I think his first name was John) asked us to
think of a friend or acquaintance who we knew would NEVER accept Jesus as his/her
savior. That was easy for me. I knew someone who was very much against
organized religion. A friend that I had met in college, who told me that my
religion was all well and fine but not to bring up any of that “crap” around
her. So that was who I chose.
The hard-liners were the ones we committed
to praying for. Maybe it was a test. I don’t know. Two days after the first
class, this friend called me up on a Wednesday evening and asked what I was up
to.
“I’m going to Bible study. Wanna come?” I
said, fully expecting to get shot down.
“I don’t have anything better to do, so
why the hell not?” she said.
Against all odds, this woman who had told
me to keep my religion away showed up to bible study and within an hour had
committed her life to Christ. It was a miracle. And the only person who can
perform a miracle is God.
I don’t relay this story to pat myself on
the back. I had nothing to do with it – except a few feeble (totally
disbelieving) prayers. God did the work. God always does the work. Our attempts
to be righteous or right, good, faithful, etc. are filthy rags.
Whether you appreciate it or not, I am
praying for you and ask that my believing readers pray for you too.
But now thus
saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee,
O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name;
thou art mine.
Isaiah 41:1
