When I was seven, I moved from Los Angeles to England, where the culture was really different. I went to a new school, and at first I didn't really have any friends. One day, though, I was invited to a birthday party, where we played soccer. Practically everyone played soccer in England. But I wasn't very good at it, and this kid, Kahlil, kept harassing me and telling me how badly I played. He also did this to me at school when I tried to play soccer at recess. It made me feel like a loser, and I thought he was a jerk.
I thought I could ignore Kahlil and not let him get to me. But he kept insulting me. So I told my mom about it. She said I should try to fine one good thing about him. She and I talked about how God is infinite good and we are all the reflection of the good. The Bible says we are God's image and likeness (see Gen. 1:26). And so I knew that Kahlil had to show the good that was from God, too. I just needed to expect to see it.
Because he was in my class, I had to see him every day. And I soon noticed that Kahlil was really bold and straightforward. Although he would often come across as mean, I decided not to see him as mean. Instead, I would say to myself that he was actually very bold. And that was a good thing he had from God. The more I did that, the more it helped me not to feel hurt by the mean things Kahlil said to me.
