These were...well, still are, my babies. On the left is G, when she was less than a month. I'd stripped her down because she was hot, but I wrapped her in the crocheted blanket my mom made for her, and she fell asleep in my arms. She looked so pretty, I took a picture of her. Look at that face. It begs to be loved and cared for. On the right is J, when he was less than a day old. We were still in the hospital. Such a cute little face, all wrapped up. In those days the only place he would sleep was in my arms or laying on my chest. If I laid him down he'd wake up in a heartbeat, and so we'd sit on the couch, watching TV and snuggling, for hours on end.
Here's the thing about those two. Both have gotten older. G is a rousing 7 years old. J is 2; need I say more? Both have had plenty of time to, while still adorable, become troublemakers, and they do a fabulous job at it too. They do wrong. They get themselves into messes. I don't have a picture of the biggest mess G made because...well, it's not a picture one would take. When she was still potty-training she woke up from a nap and pooped herself, and instead of telling me, she attempted to clean it up herself. But first, she smeared it all over her bed, the carpet, a rocking chair that was in the room, and the wall, and then she used an entire pack of wipes. And she still wasn't clean. Needless to say when I went to get her, I was horrified. But, as I don't have a picture, I'll just show you a pic of her with prunes in baby-food style, smeared all over her face.
And then there's the little turd on the right, who, this past winter, decided that he wanted some of that purple drink Mommy had spent hours making, and so he reached for the jar...but it was too heavy and it upended all over him and the floor. It was freshly made elderberry syrup, by the way. At least he didn't get sick. X said the picture made him look very much like Husband though.
When my children do something wrong, go down the wrong path, it is my job, as their mother, to discipline them and to steer them in the right direction, so that they may please God, and grow up to be functioning adults that aren't looking for trouble all the time, as so much of society is. So, yes, I tell them when they're wrong, but I do so in love, because I love my children. I don't want to grow old and watch as my children drive themselves into a sinful, miserable life.
The same goes for sinners in the world. People who intentionally choose the wrong path because it's what makes them "happy" at the time. Now, the more I've heard the phrase, "whatever makes you happy," the more I clench my fists. Because I, of all people, know what pain can follow if you disregard God's law for "whatever makes you happy." I had sex out of wedlock. 7 years later I lost custody of the child that was conceived from that poor choice. I am not happy now. I was then. So was it worth it? Well, as with all things, God makes good out of bad, and He gave me a wonderful little girl out of a crappy choice, but because all choices come with a consequence, I am currently suffering through mine. If I could go back, I would not have done so. Because although not doing so would mean no G, it would also mean that all the years of chaos that poor girl has been through, unjustly, would not have happened. Obviously, a child isn't always the consequence of that particular choice, but there always is one, whether the person realizes it or not. STD's. Decreased self-value. Regret for lost virtue when they find the one they were looking for all along. Who knows; an abusive relationship? God set his standard for a reason.
Now, here's where I get super controversial. The Bible is clear that homosexuality is a sin. Like every other sin, it's merely the sin that is detestable, not the sinner. Because there is no sin that is worse than another one in God's eyes, since He can see the horrible ripples in the pond for everything. They're all equal to each other. My sex out of wedlock caused a lot of crap in a lot of lives, innocent lives, so how am I better than a murderer? Sure, those innocent people are still alive, but is it better to be alive and tortured than dead? Lies, betrayal....all sins. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." This is a hard verse for some in society to hear, because today's society is about "whatever makes you happy." Many people love to sleep around, to worship their belongings or a person, whatever, to cheat on their spouses or help their love cheat, to sell themselves for what they want, to sleep with someone of the same sex, to steal, to take what they want whether it's theirs or not, to get drunk, to gossip, to trick people. It gives them a pleasure of sort, and there's a reason for that: there's something missing in their hearts. The good news is, there is redemption. It's not like we commit the sin and "Oh, well, guess I'm going to hell." It CAN be like that, if the person doesn't repent and change their ways, but it doesn't have to be. 1 Cor 6:11 goes on to say, "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." There is hope. That doesn't mean you can say "Sorry, Jesus," and go on your merry way and sinning, because at that point you clearly weren't sorry, you are still doing the same thing, so you didn't actually repent. That's just lip service, with no follow-through. When Jesus was on earth, He saved a prostitute from being stoned to death by Pharisees. Most are familiar with the story. She was brought before Jesus and the Pharisees explained that she'd been caught, and that the Law of Moses said to stone her to death. Instead of lashing back, He said, "Let he who is without blame cast the first stone." None of the Pharisees could claim innocence, so they left. John 8: 10, 11: "Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
He forgave her. But that wasn't a green light to keep doing what she was doing. The point of repentance is to be sorry for what one has done, and to make an effort to change it.
Some say that homosexuals are born the way they are. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know we were all born sinful. I also believe that some people are inclined to certain sins, and will struggle with them all their lives. But God defined marriage, for a bigger purpose than it has become today. Today, if a couple are living together, having sex, keeping a family, without being married, no one really cares, because today, marriage has become a way to exact taxes, or an arrangement for insurance benefits. Obviously, in some factions, marriage is still very important, but usually because of what their beliefs teach them. 1 Cor 7:2 says, "But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." There's no confusion there. To continue saying that homosexuality is not a sin is simply living in denial of God's Word, and that will bear its own consequences.
If you are gay, and reading this, and have become angry with me, I'm sorry it has upset you. To be totally truthful, though, I expect as much, because no one likes to be told that what they're doing/want to do is wrong, and will bear serious consequences. I surely didn't, but I suffered them regardless. I want you to know this: I do not now, nor have I ever, nor will I ever, hate you because you're gay, for the exact same reason that I do not hate my children when they misbehave. Their actions are not who they are, it's something they have chosen to do, and therefore it is my responsibility, as their mother, to correct their behavior so that they will be beacons of light to the world, and not a burden. Likewise, as a child of God, it is my responsibility to tell you, because He loves you, and therefore I do, when you're doing something you should not be doing. Because He loves you, He doesn't want to see you going down a road that will lead to your destruction. And your destruction may not happen while you're on earth, but the Bible is clear that you won't inherit the kingdom of heaven. I fear what that entails. And so I beg you to turn from what the Bible has clearly told you is a sin. I know it will be hard. Harder than quitting smoking, because smoking has physical ingredients that draw you in, but detoxing from homosexuality is not so simple. It won't be easy. It wasn't easy for me to return to abstinence once I confessed what I'd done, because by then I knew how good it could feel and I wanted more.
It is conquerable, if you decide that you are going to turn over a new leaf.. There are stories out there of people who were entrenched in homosexuality, and turned from their ways. I encourage you, if any of this has touched your heart, to seek them out, and seek counsel with them. I've never been gay, so I can only tell you what the Word says and pray for you, and if that's what you want me to do I will be happy to do so, and come along side you in your battle. But as I've never been gay, I don't know what struggles will come ahead of you. I do know that Jesus CAN and WILL help you through it, you just need to be true to Him.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.
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