top of page
Writer's pictureSally Gary

Mondays with Moms

When we began this summer series with parents, I asked some of the moms and dad who have attended a CenterPeace PeacePrint Retreat for their help. It takes a lot of courage to share our stories as they have and I’m so appreciative of their willingness to help.  PeacePrint Retreats build courage by giving parents a place to share their feelings with people who understand and can relate to their experience. Our next parent retreat is set for August 25-27 at a luxurious, very private ranch in Texas. Space is limited, so book your flight and make your reservation now! If you’d like more information, visit our website or contact us by email at centerpeaceinc@gmail.com.  And in the meantime, enjoy my friend, Laura’s, response to this question: What’s the one thing that you know now, that you wish you’d known when your daughter first came out to you?

I wish I had known that I really could trust God, even after learning my daughter is gay. I thought I did trust God, but this was my baby. This was the first time that I have ever questioned God. Where were you? Why am I the mother of a gay daughter? I have spent so many hours praying over this child, does that not mean anything?

Now that the shock has worn off and we are two years down the road, I can see so many ways God has blessed us. This girl has never been an easy child. She is loving and funny and thoughtful and a daredevil. She is also head strong and particular about certain things that I couldn’t understand and had a hard time accepting. When she hit the teen years, things became extremely challenging — making the last seven years of our relationship an uphill battle.

I could have never imagined that two years after her coming out, our relationship would be the best it’s ever been. How could that happen? Here’s what I now can see.

Years earlier God called our precious youth minister that we loved dearly to Texas to be a pulpit minister. It was painful to see him leave and hard to understand. All these years later, the day before our daughter came out he was on my Facebook feed with Sally Gary at Pepperdine. The topic was something about a conversation on how the church could include the LGBT community. I didn’t see how that could be a thing and scrolled on. The next day when our “news” hit, I recalled the post and emailed him. He connected us to Sally and our journey of growth and healing began.

During the difficult teen years, God gave my daughter a precious mentor. Through this relationship, she had someone to help her prepare when she decided to tell us. The mentor offered a “safe place” for her.

God has given us a church family who has continued to love us and our daughter through this journey.

God has given us other parents in the same situation, who love, counsel, cry and laugh with us.

We have learned so much and I believe we are better ambassadors for Christ because of it.

This is a journey for all of us. I have no idea where it will end or what it will look like, but I trust Him. I believe that God is still working in all of us. He has gone before us, He is with us today and He goes behind us cleaning up the messes we make. He loves us and best of all He loves her!

Thank you God. You are faithful.

Laura, Kelly, John Lawrence Nashville 2017
1 view0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page