Be the Troll: Faith in the Face of Fear

I happened upon this quote while this week’s Monday Message was rattling around in my head, and thought it appropriate. 

What do you most fear? What fears prevent you from moving forward? From following dreams?

I am really scared of spiders, but that’s not really the kind of fear I’m talking about today. I’m talking about the kind of fear that keeps you at a stand-still in life, the kind of fear that keeps your feet firmly planted in your comfort zone, the kind of fear that prevents you from your God-given purpose in life.

This month, I would like to focus my Monday Messages on lessons and dialogues that I’ve been able to have with the kids based on a new movie that they love. See, we recently watched the movie Trolls…10 times. And I am not complaining. This movie makes me happy, makes me want to dance, makes me want to change the world.

Trolls have such a bad rep! We go around insulting people, “Don’t be such a troll,” as though trolls are hateful, internet bullies, sitting like cowards behind a computer screen. Thankfully, this movie is trying to eradicate the offensive stereotyping of these happy, sparkly trolls.

I will be writing up 4 different ministry topics from this movie alone throughout the month, so if you haven’t seen the movie yet, spoilers are ahead!

Princess Poppy of the Trolls goes on a mission to save her friends from the Bergens, giant monsters who are perpetually unhappy, and believe the only way to be happy is to eat a troll. Poppy faces her fear on this impossible rescue, armed with more hope and faith than any normal person would have, and she learns something that changes everything. She discovers that the Bergens can be happy, and teaches them that it isn’t about what you put in your body, but what is already within you.  She believed in them, in this mission, when everyone else thought it was futile. 

Poppy faced fear of the unknown, worse than the unknown really, but certain death, and she changed not only her story, but the story of those she feared most. She couldn’t even really explain why she believed her friends were safe, or why she believed the lives of the Bergens could be changed. She just did. And she acted on it. I know it’s a kids’ movie, but isn’t that what is great about it? That a movie my children want to watch over and over and over again, could carry such a powerful message, and encourage such meaningful dialogue, feels like a blessing to me. 

I can’t claim to know what my God-given purpose is, fully, but I do believe the more I pray about it, and the more I seek Him, the more He reveals to me. I have believed, for a long time now, that this blog, is a stepping stone to a big dream He has for me, but it was scary to begin it. It sometimes still is! Doubts would creep in about keeping up with the writing, keeping it current, staying on task, on schedule. On occasion, I would think to myself that I must be setting myself up for failure. But I decided to have faith, and believe in what I could not see. It is still a lesson in faith every day, and maybe I’m not facing giants who are trying to eat me, but in one month since launching the site, I have written more blogs and more crochet patterns than I did in all of 2016. To God be the glory! 

Are you walking by faith? Are you facing giants? Be the troll. That strength, courage, and confidence you gain with each experience; let it be in the Lord, and face those fears with so much faith and hope that people call you crazy. That’s exactly the kind of crazy I want to be.