Not too long ago I felt this release of not needing to tell everyone I come into contact with that I come from a homosexual background. And I had also felt a release to not have to share my background even with my family. Instead, I've taken on trying to be as real as possible with people I come into contact with.
At work, it's tricky. If the conversation naturally points towards professing that I am a Christian I do. The one thing that I have hated but also appreciated is the fact that people in the GLBT Community just seem to know of my issues with SSA and GID. And so, I have an opportunity to walk out my faith in front of them and respond as questions arise which more often then not the ones I work a lot closer with usually ask me straight up .... "what are you?" .... they usually have an idea.
My response most often is, "I am a woman created in God's image. SSA and GID are issues I deal with in my own life but I don't define myself by that."
It's been a pretty positive experience thus far with me. I've only had one friend walk away bitterly. I have experienced some friends who just became maybe uncomfortable around me because of the choices I've made. I don't usually talk Christianese to them. I'm just real and I am myself around them. And for the most part that is another reason perhaps why I've had more positive experiences with friends in the GLBT Community.
I don't "witness" I just show that I have a relationship with Jesus and it's something that people will see and if they see it then in my opinion there'd be less need to actually say anything unless the question arises. I find the positive experiences come when the other person is ready to have "the talk" haha....
I remember having "the talk" with one friend. Her and I were involved in the same ministry organization and her and I for a few years just avoided each other because we didn't know where each other were as far as faith and our relationship with Jesus. She decided to believe that it's ok to live the gay lifestyle and still be a Christian. While I continue the direction I am taking. It makes for some pretty interesting and difficult conversations because she's been listening to and believing liberal theology. I can't seem to wrap my mind around that theology but for whatever reason she believes it and talks a pretty good talk. I can't debate on the liberal theology simply because, it's tricky. I can understand Jehovah's Witness theology and doctrine more so then liberal theology. Liberal Theology is just all over the map. I don't understand how some people can actually believe that.
At times, all I know is Jesus and I see my friends as Jesus and so what I do to my friends I do to Jesus.
And here's my frustration with the majority of the church. Many people within the church are so bent to prove that they are right, perhaps in part because of their passion to lead people to faith in Christ. But some become so stuck in trying to make people within the GLBT Community see that they are wrong, it actually pushes them away.
I can remember when I first began talking to my gay friends at the age of 18 around this topic. They got so frustrated with me. I am amazed that they continued being friends with me. In my zeal for the Lord. I refused to be real about my own SSA GID issues.
Perhaps I've had some incredible people in my life.
Janey
· 1 year ago
Some good advice there!
Not too long ago I felt this release of not needing to tell everyone I come into contact with that I come from a homosexual background. And I had also felt a release to not have to share my background even with my family. Instead, I've taken on trying to be as real as possible with people I come into contact with.
At work, it's tricky. If the conversation naturally points towards professing that I am a Christian I do. The one thing that I have hated but also appreciated is the fact that people in the GLBT Community just seem to know of my issues with SSA and GID. And so, I have an opportunity to walk out my faith in front of them and respond as questions arise which more often then not the ones I work a lot closer with usually ask me straight up .... "what are you?" .... they usually have an idea.
My response most often is, "I am a woman created in God's image. SSA and GID are issues I deal with in my own life but I don't define myself by that."
It's been a pretty positive experience thus far with me. I've only had one friend walk away bitterly. I have experienced some friends who just became maybe uncomfortable around me because of the choices I've made. I don't usually talk Christianese to them. I'm just real and I am myself around them. And for the most part that is another reason perhaps why I've had more positive experiences with friends in the GLBT Community.
I don't "witness" I just show that I have a relationship with Jesus and it's something that people will see and if they see it then in my opinion there'd be less need to actually say anything unless the question arises. I find the positive experiences come when the other person is ready to have "the talk" haha....
I remember having "the talk" with one friend. Her and I were involved in the same ministry organization and her and I for a few years just avoided each other because we didn't know where each other were as far as faith and our relationship with Jesus. She decided to believe that it's ok to live the gay lifestyle and still be a Christian. While I continue the direction I am taking. It makes for some pretty interesting and difficult conversations because she's been listening to and believing liberal theology. I can't seem to wrap my mind around that theology but for whatever reason she believes it and talks a pretty good talk. I can't debate on the liberal theology simply because, it's tricky. I can understand Jehovah's Witness theology and doctrine more so then liberal theology. Liberal Theology is just all over the map. I don't understand how some people can actually believe that.
At times, all I know is Jesus and I see my friends as Jesus and so what I do to my friends I do to Jesus.
And here's my frustration with the majority of the church. Many people within the church are so bent to prove that they are right, perhaps in part because of their passion to lead people to faith in Christ. But some become so stuck in trying to make people within the GLBT Community see that they are wrong, it actually pushes them away.
I can remember when I first began talking to my gay friends at the age of 18 around this topic. They got so frustrated with me. I am amazed that they continued being friends with me. In my zeal for the Lord. I refused to be real about my own SSA GID issues.
Perhaps I've had some incredible people in my life.
Randy
· 1 year ago
I think it is really weird that the Ray Boltz thread has got 44 comments as of this post but this thread ... two.
Very interesting.
Randy
· 1 year ago
I think it is really weird that the Ray Boltz thread has got 44 comments as of this post but this thread ... two.
Very interesting.
editorgal
· 1 year ago
True . . . who opened that closet door?! I can't speak to issues from your side of the street. But I can speak about bias running both ways. When my offspring was younger, there was a couple who coached their son: one a stay-at-home mom and her partner mom, a medical dr. At that moment in time the nation and our local school district avidly discussed sex education in the schools and its curriculum content. The demarcation line seemed to be faith-based or tell-all, no holds barred. Our district held several forums and finally made it an agenda item before the school board. In my extreme oblivion, I asked these moms if they were going.
Mind you, here I am ... blonde, ditzy, opinionated, verbal, Christian and heterosexual; but, we'd had some lovely conversations about child-rearing, our love of books, and other things. I'm not, and never have been, militantly Christian . . . but ya know, He does shine. Wait, I got distracted and lost the thread of my story.
Oh yeah. Anyway, one of the ladies lit into me ...bad. Honestly took me aback. I responded my concerns. She challenged me, but with the volume dialed back a notch. We conversed, and at the end, we were merely two moms discussing sex education for our kids, the school district and its problems, and more.
And then the next day a couple of Christian parents took me to task for spending so much time talking to "those" people. Mind you, the Christian folks had never bothered to talk to these women. Augggh (as Charlie Brown says)! So then I opened my big ol' mouth and asked these Christian parents what their problem was. As you can imagine, that conversation got a little loud, too. God kept my voice at a moderate level. Sigh. Really, people are people. I didn't have to endorse the lifestyle of those women to engage them in conversation, and gee, it didn't take any time at all to find lots of common ground.
Being on the receiving end of judgment is hard. It seems as though society is still just as shame-based as it was when I was growing up. It's not about being right, looking right, feeling right. What is right? Oh yeah, the opposite of the hand with which I write (directionally challenged here). Sigh. We do have to discern and test everything with His Word. Sadly, we must also discern with whom and to what extent we can share our life stories . . . not out of fear. I am who I am in Him in large part because of where I've been. But, because the hearer must be prepared to hear. Indiscriminate sharing can sometimes harden ground where someone has planted a seed, and delaying God's purpose. Pooh, I can't tell you how many times someone's injudicious telling me how the cows came home strengthened my resolve to keep on my painful path. And I thank God for the folks He blessed me with who loved me through, who told me the truth about my life with love. And kept loving me the further away I wandered. And love me still.
Good stuff, insightful, applicable to anyone dealing with lifestyle issues. I personally cringe at the gay banner. If we're gonna bash folks, can we go bash heterosexual couples who live together without marriage, bring children into those unions. And hey, what about . . . no, wait. That list is too long. Sigh. I have too far to travel on His road. Thankfully He blesses me with strength for the journey and faithful companions to carry me when I grow weary because I forgot to let Him carry the load.
Randy
· 1 year ago
Great testimony! Thanks for the encouraging word and sharing about this experience. Thankfully I don't run into Christians like you describe often and more often then not they are like you. They don't mind telling the Truth as they see it but also don't mind meeting people where they are at. That's cool.
editorgal
· 1 year ago
Well, this was way back when in the olden days, in a rural community southwest of Austin, Tx. Folks 'round these parts then were not, hmm, tolerant isn't the word I want . . . foo. I can't think of it. Anyway, they were strongly against fraternizing with folks vastly different than what they consider the norm. The old-timers ares still a bit that way out here . . . suspicious of new folks, don't want to meet anyone where they are, would rather judge. I don't fit in boxes well (bless my li'l ol' rebel heart!).
editorgal
· 1 year ago
True . . . who opened that closet door?! I can't speak to issues from your side of the street. But I can speak about bias running both ways. When my offspring was younger, there was a couple who coached their son: one a stay-at-home mom and her partner mom, a medical dr. At that moment in time the nation and our local school district avidly discussed sex education in the schools and its curriculum content. The demarcation line seemed to be faith-based or tell-all, no holds barred. Our district held several forums and finally made it an agenda item before the school board. In my extreme oblivion, I asked these moms if they were going.
Mind you, here I am ... blonde, ditzy, opinionated, verbal, Christian and heterosexual; but, we'd had some lovely conversations about child-rearing, our love of books, and other things. I'm not, and never have been, militantly Christian . . . but ya know, He does shine. Wait, I got distracted and lost the thread of my story.
Oh yeah. Anyway, one of the ladies lit into me ...bad. Honestly took me aback. I responded my concerns. She challenged me, but with the volume dialed back a notch. We conversed, and at the end, we were merely two moms discussing sex education for our kids, the school district and its problems, and more.
And then the next day a couple of Christian parents took me to task for spending so much time talking to "those" people. Mind you, the Christian folks had never bothered to talk to these women. Augggh (as Charlie Brown says)! So then I opened my big ol' mouth and asked these Christian parents what their problem was. As you can imagine, that conversation got a little loud, too. God kept my voice at a moderate level. Sigh. Really, people are people. I didn't have to endorse the lifestyle of those women to engage them in conversation, and gee, it didn't take any time at all to find lots of common ground.
Being on the receiving end of judgment is hard. It seems as though society is still just as shame-based as it was when I was growing up. It's not about being right, looking right, feeling right. What is right? Oh yeah, the opposite of the hand with which I write (directionally challenged here). Sigh. We do have to discern and test everything with His Word. Sadly, we must also discern with whom and to what extent we can share our life stories . . . not out of fear. I am who I am in Him in large part because of where I've been. But, because the hearer must be prepared to hear. Indiscriminate sharing can sometimes harden ground where someone has planted a seed, and delaying God's purpose. Pooh, I can't tell you how many times someone's injudicious telling me how the cows came home strengthened my resolve to keep on my painful path. And I thank God for the folks He blessed me with who loved me through, who told me the truth about my life with love. And kept loving me the further away I wandered. And love me still.
Good stuff, insightful, applicable to anyone dealing with lifestyle issues. I personally cringe at the gay banner. If we're gonna bash folks, can we go bash heterosexual couples who live together without marriage, bring children into those unions. And hey, what about . . . no, wait. That list is too long. Sigh. I have too far to travel on His road. Thankfully He blesses me with strength for the journey and faithful companions to carry me when I grow weary because I forgot to let Him carry the load.
Randy
· 1 year ago
Great testimony! Thanks for the encouraging word and sharing about this experience. Thankfully I don't run into Christians like you describe often and more often then not they are like you. They don't mind telling the Truth as they see it but also don't mind meeting people where they are at. That's cool.
editorgal
· 1 year ago
Well, this was way back when in the olden days, in a rural community southwest of Austin, Tx. Folks 'round these parts then were not, hmm, tolerant isn't the word I want . . . foo. I can't think of it. Anyway, they were strongly against fraternizing with folks vastly different than what they consider the norm. The old-timers ares still a bit that way out here . . . suspicious of new folks, don't want to meet anyone where they are, would rather judge. I don't fit in boxes well (bless my li'l ol' rebel heart!).
All Comments
Not too long ago I felt this release of not needing to tell everyone I come into contact with that I come from a homosexual background. And I had also felt a release to not have to share my background even with my family. Instead, I've taken on trying to be as real as possible with people I come into contact with.
At work, it's tricky. If the conversation naturally points towards professing that I am a Christian I do. The one thing that I have hated but also appreciated is the fact that people in the GLBT Community just seem to know of my issues with SSA and GID. And so, I have an opportunity to walk out my faith in front of them and respond as questions arise which more often then not the ones I work a lot closer with usually ask me straight up .... "what are you?" .... they usually have an idea.
My response most often is, "I am a woman created in God's image. SSA and GID are issues I deal with in my own life but I don't define myself by that."
It's been a pretty positive experience thus far with me. I've only had one friend walk away bitterly. I have experienced some friends who just became maybe uncomfortable around me because of the choices I've made. I don't usually talk Christianese to them. I'm just real and I am myself around them. And for the most part that is another reason perhaps why I've had more positive experiences with friends in the GLBT Community.
I don't "witness" I just show that I have a relationship with Jesus and it's something that people will see and if they see it then in my opinion there'd be less need to actually say anything unless the question arises. I find the positive experiences come when the other person is ready to have "the talk" haha....
I remember having "the talk" with one friend. Her and I were involved in the same ministry organization and her and I for a few years just avoided each other because we didn't know where each other were as far as faith and our relationship with Jesus. She decided to believe that it's ok to live the gay lifestyle and still be a Christian. While I continue the direction I am taking. It makes for some pretty interesting and difficult conversations because she's been listening to and believing liberal theology. I can't seem to wrap my mind around that theology but for whatever reason she believes it and talks a pretty good talk. I can't debate on the liberal theology simply because, it's tricky. I can understand Jehovah's Witness theology and doctrine more so then liberal theology. Liberal Theology is just all over the map. I don't understand how some people can actually believe that.
At times, all I know is Jesus and I see my friends as Jesus and so what I do to my friends I do to Jesus.
And here's my frustration with the majority of the church. Many people within the church are so bent to prove that they are right, perhaps in part because of their passion to lead people to faith in Christ. But some become so stuck in trying to make people within the GLBT Community see that they are wrong, it actually pushes them away.
I can remember when I first began talking to my gay friends at the age of 18 around this topic. They got so frustrated with me. I am amazed that they continued being friends with me. In my zeal for the Lord. I refused to be real about my own SSA GID issues.
Perhaps I've had some incredible people in my life.
Not too long ago I felt this release of not needing to tell everyone I come into contact with that I come from a homosexual background. And I had also felt a release to not have to share my background even with my family. Instead, I've taken on trying to be as real as possible with people I come into contact with.
At work, it's tricky. If the conversation naturally points towards professing that I am a Christian I do. The one thing that I have hated but also appreciated is the fact that people in the GLBT Community just seem to know of my issues with SSA and GID. And so, I have an opportunity to walk out my faith in front of them and respond as questions arise which more often then not the ones I work a lot closer with usually ask me straight up .... "what are you?" .... they usually have an idea.
My response most often is, "I am a woman created in God's image. SSA and GID are issues I deal with in my own life but I don't define myself by that."
It's been a pretty positive experience thus far with me. I've only had one friend walk away bitterly. I have experienced some friends who just became maybe uncomfortable around me because of the choices I've made. I don't usually talk Christianese to them. I'm just real and I am myself around them. And for the most part that is another reason perhaps why I've had more positive experiences with friends in the GLBT Community.
I don't "witness" I just show that I have a relationship with Jesus and it's something that people will see and if they see it then in my opinion there'd be less need to actually say anything unless the question arises. I find the positive experiences come when the other person is ready to have "the talk" haha....
I remember having "the talk" with one friend. Her and I were involved in the same ministry organization and her and I for a few years just avoided each other because we didn't know where each other were as far as faith and our relationship with Jesus. She decided to believe that it's ok to live the gay lifestyle and still be a Christian. While I continue the direction I am taking. It makes for some pretty interesting and difficult conversations because she's been listening to and believing liberal theology. I can't seem to wrap my mind around that theology but for whatever reason she believes it and talks a pretty good talk. I can't debate on the liberal theology simply because, it's tricky. I can understand Jehovah's Witness theology and doctrine more so then liberal theology. Liberal Theology is just all over the map. I don't understand how some people can actually believe that.
At times, all I know is Jesus and I see my friends as Jesus and so what I do to my friends I do to Jesus.
And here's my frustration with the majority of the church. Many people within the church are so bent to prove that they are right, perhaps in part because of their passion to lead people to faith in Christ. But some become so stuck in trying to make people within the GLBT Community see that they are wrong, it actually pushes them away.
I can remember when I first began talking to my gay friends at the age of 18 around this topic. They got so frustrated with me. I am amazed that they continued being friends with me. In my zeal for the Lord. I refused to be real about my own SSA GID issues.
Perhaps I've had some incredible people in my life.
Very interesting.
Very interesting.
I can't speak to issues from your side of the street. But I can speak about bias running both ways. When my offspring was younger, there was a couple who coached their son: one a stay-at-home mom and her partner mom, a medical dr. At that moment in time the nation and our local school district avidly discussed sex education in the schools and its curriculum content. The demarcation line seemed to be faith-based or tell-all, no holds barred. Our district held several forums and finally made it an agenda item before the school board. In my extreme oblivion, I asked these moms if they were going.
Mind you, here I am ... blonde, ditzy, opinionated, verbal, Christian and heterosexual; but, we'd had some lovely conversations about child-rearing, our love of books, and other things. I'm not, and never have been, militantly Christian . . . but ya know, He does shine. Wait, I got distracted and lost the thread of my story.
Oh yeah. Anyway, one of the ladies lit into me ...bad. Honestly took me aback. I responded my concerns. She challenged me, but with the volume dialed back a notch. We conversed, and at the end, we were merely two moms discussing sex education for our kids, the school district and its problems, and more.
And then the next day a couple of Christian parents took me to task for spending so much time talking to "those" people. Mind you, the Christian folks had never bothered to talk to these women. Augggh (as Charlie Brown says)! So then I opened my big ol' mouth and asked these Christian parents what their problem was. As you can imagine, that conversation got a little loud, too. God kept my voice at a moderate level. Sigh. Really, people are people. I didn't have to endorse the lifestyle of those women to engage them in conversation, and gee, it didn't take any time at all to find lots of common ground.
Being on the receiving end of judgment is hard. It seems as though society is still just as shame-based as it was when I was growing up. It's not about being right, looking right, feeling right. What is right? Oh yeah, the opposite of the hand with which I write (directionally challenged here). Sigh. We do have to discern and test everything with His Word. Sadly, we must also discern with whom and to what extent we can share our life stories . . . not out of fear. I am who I am in Him in large part because of where I've been. But, because the hearer must be prepared to hear. Indiscriminate sharing can sometimes harden ground where someone has planted a seed, and delaying God's purpose. Pooh, I can't tell you how many times someone's injudicious telling me how the cows came home strengthened my resolve to keep on my painful path. And I thank God for the folks He blessed me with who loved me through, who told me the truth about my life with love. And kept loving me the further away I wandered. And love me still.
Good stuff, insightful, applicable to anyone dealing with lifestyle issues. I personally cringe at the gay banner. If we're gonna bash folks, can we go bash heterosexual couples who live together without marriage, bring children into those unions. And hey, what about . . . no, wait. That list is too long. Sigh. I have too far to travel on His road. Thankfully He blesses me with strength for the journey and faithful companions to carry me when I grow weary because I forgot to let Him carry the load.
experience. Thankfully I don't run into Christians like you describe often
and more often then not they are like you. They don't mind telling the
Truth as they see it but also don't mind meeting people where they are at.
That's cool.
I can't speak to issues from your side of the street. But I can speak about bias running both ways. When my offspring was younger, there was a couple who coached their son: one a stay-at-home mom and her partner mom, a medical dr. At that moment in time the nation and our local school district avidly discussed sex education in the schools and its curriculum content. The demarcation line seemed to be faith-based or tell-all, no holds barred. Our district held several forums and finally made it an agenda item before the school board. In my extreme oblivion, I asked these moms if they were going.
Mind you, here I am ... blonde, ditzy, opinionated, verbal, Christian and heterosexual; but, we'd had some lovely conversations about child-rearing, our love of books, and other things. I'm not, and never have been, militantly Christian . . . but ya know, He does shine. Wait, I got distracted and lost the thread of my story.
Oh yeah. Anyway, one of the ladies lit into me ...bad. Honestly took me aback. I responded my concerns. She challenged me, but with the volume dialed back a notch. We conversed, and at the end, we were merely two moms discussing sex education for our kids, the school district and its problems, and more.
And then the next day a couple of Christian parents took me to task for spending so much time talking to "those" people. Mind you, the Christian folks had never bothered to talk to these women. Augggh (as Charlie Brown says)! So then I opened my big ol' mouth and asked these Christian parents what their problem was. As you can imagine, that conversation got a little loud, too. God kept my voice at a moderate level. Sigh. Really, people are people. I didn't have to endorse the lifestyle of those women to engage them in conversation, and gee, it didn't take any time at all to find lots of common ground.
Being on the receiving end of judgment is hard. It seems as though society is still just as shame-based as it was when I was growing up. It's not about being right, looking right, feeling right. What is right? Oh yeah, the opposite of the hand with which I write (directionally challenged here). Sigh. We do have to discern and test everything with His Word. Sadly, we must also discern with whom and to what extent we can share our life stories . . . not out of fear. I am who I am in Him in large part because of where I've been. But, because the hearer must be prepared to hear. Indiscriminate sharing can sometimes harden ground where someone has planted a seed, and delaying God's purpose. Pooh, I can't tell you how many times someone's injudicious telling me how the cows came home strengthened my resolve to keep on my painful path. And I thank God for the folks He blessed me with who loved me through, who told me the truth about my life with love. And kept loving me the further away I wandered. And love me still.
Good stuff, insightful, applicable to anyone dealing with lifestyle issues. I personally cringe at the gay banner. If we're gonna bash folks, can we go bash heterosexual couples who live together without marriage, bring children into those unions. And hey, what about . . . no, wait. That list is too long. Sigh. I have too far to travel on His road. Thankfully He blesses me with strength for the journey and faithful companions to carry me when I grow weary because I forgot to let Him carry the load.
experience. Thankfully I don't run into Christians like you describe often
and more often then not they are like you. They don't mind telling the
Truth as they see it but also don't mind meeting people where they are at.
That's cool.