Monday, September 18, 2006
The Encounter
"Would your church welcome me?"she asked.
"Yes, of course,"I replied.
She sat down beside me."But you don't know who I am! You don't understand what I am!"she said.
She was about 6'4" and dressed in a housecoat and worn slippers. She had reddish-brown hair and a five o'clock shadow. She was ugly appearing, but she was beautiful inside.
She was a trans lady in an inpatient mental health facility. She was in a program specializing in LGBT patients with alcohol/drug abuse and depression problems. These patients had hit rock bottom. They were unable handle their lives and problems, and usually they were so down that all belts, shoestrings, razor blades(hence the 5 o'clock shadow) had been taken from them when they checked themselves in hoping to prevent suicides while they were being treated.
During their stay they are given physc-drugs and take part in group sessions and one on one meetings with the caring doctors and staff.
The care they receive is designed to help them turn their lives around.
I was there as part of the treatments. Once a month our church takes turns with other churches in having a team, 2-4 persons in our case, come in and visit with the patients in a session discussing their spiritual lives. We were there to answer questions and give advice to any patients who came in for the "group".
Of course the most common question we face is always"Does God really love me as who I am?".
The majority of GLBT persons have heard since they were old enough to know that they were " different" that God does not love them. They are doomed to hell.
We are prepared to answer them with a positive answer. We explain Grace to them. We go over the scriptures with them answering questions and showing them what the scriptures really say.
I usually point out to them that the same church authorities who today condemn gays could have been heard in the 1800's saying that God approved of slavery. There was nothing wrong with it. The white-man was "created superior by God. " They could quote scriptures proving it!
Time and a newer way of interpreting the scriptures has changed their minds. With time and education their opinions of gays will change too.
This one though had a harder time that most dealing with it.
I assured her that of course I could read her. I knew that she was a Trans and I didn't care and God didn't care.
I assured her that God does not make mistakes. God knew who she was before she was even born.
While my partner talked to the others she and I had our own conversation. I explained that God loves all His children. I told her that I have a couple of trans friends and that I love them both very much.
I always carry handouts dealing with these subjects and I left them with her to read over after I was gone.
Before the session was up we were both in tears.
I will probably never hear about her again. She was from a city over a thousand miles away. I do think of her from time to time. Did she turn her life around? Did she start attending church and give her self to Christ?
But, there is one thing I know for sure. For a short time on one night God put the two of us together so that I could deliver his message to her.
A message that I never tire of repeating , a message of acceptance and of love and of eternal life..
God Bless you..Deacon Harry
"Yes, of course,"I replied.
She sat down beside me."But you don't know who I am! You don't understand what I am!"she said.
She was about 6'4" and dressed in a housecoat and worn slippers. She had reddish-brown hair and a five o'clock shadow. She was ugly appearing, but she was beautiful inside.
She was a trans lady in an inpatient mental health facility. She was in a program specializing in LGBT patients with alcohol/drug abuse and depression problems. These patients had hit rock bottom. They were unable handle their lives and problems, and usually they were so down that all belts, shoestrings, razor blades(hence the 5 o'clock shadow) had been taken from them when they checked themselves in hoping to prevent suicides while they were being treated.
During their stay they are given physc-drugs and take part in group sessions and one on one meetings with the caring doctors and staff.
The care they receive is designed to help them turn their lives around.
I was there as part of the treatments. Once a month our church takes turns with other churches in having a team, 2-4 persons in our case, come in and visit with the patients in a session discussing their spiritual lives. We were there to answer questions and give advice to any patients who came in for the "group".
Of course the most common question we face is always"Does God really love me as who I am?".
The majority of GLBT persons have heard since they were old enough to know that they were " different" that God does not love them. They are doomed to hell.
We are prepared to answer them with a positive answer. We explain Grace to them. We go over the scriptures with them answering questions and showing them what the scriptures really say.
I usually point out to them that the same church authorities who today condemn gays could have been heard in the 1800's saying that God approved of slavery. There was nothing wrong with it. The white-man was "created superior by God. " They could quote scriptures proving it!
Time and a newer way of interpreting the scriptures has changed their minds. With time and education their opinions of gays will change too.
This one though had a harder time that most dealing with it.
I assured her that of course I could read her. I knew that she was a Trans and I didn't care and God didn't care.
I assured her that God does not make mistakes. God knew who she was before she was even born.
While my partner talked to the others she and I had our own conversation. I explained that God loves all His children. I told her that I have a couple of trans friends and that I love them both very much.
I always carry handouts dealing with these subjects and I left them with her to read over after I was gone.
Before the session was up we were both in tears.
I will probably never hear about her again. She was from a city over a thousand miles away. I do think of her from time to time. Did she turn her life around? Did she start attending church and give her self to Christ?
But, there is one thing I know for sure. For a short time on one night God put the two of us together so that I could deliver his message to her.
A message that I never tire of repeating , a message of acceptance and of love and of eternal life..
God Bless you..Deacon Harry
