To You, the Catholic Without SSA
People have responded so well to the post last week directed to Catholics who struggle with SSA. But, I know that there are so many of you who don't experience this, but still want to do your part to help those who do.
First, please allow me to say thank you.
The fact that you're so willing to be there to help and support those who struggle is amazing to me. And I personally appreciate that more than you know.
So today, I want to share with you three things that others have done for me to make this burden and this cross so much sweeter for me.
Please, don't lie to us. I know that you're intentions are good, but please don't water down the faith to try and accommodate us.
Ultimately, we're searching for truth, and any watered down version of the faith isn't true. That isn't what we're looking for.
Give us what's real. Show us what's authentic. I've been shown a faulty version of Catholicism (which actually, isn't Catholicism at all), and when I dove in deeper for myself, I came up confused, having absolutely no idea where to turn.
So please, be real and be honest with me, and everyone else.
Be open with us. Open your hearts as a home for us. I've said it before, that there's an immense lack of intimacy in the LGBTQ+ community, intimacy that we desire more than anything.
I didn't know it for a while, but I desired to know Christ. I wanted to experience that love, and intimacy, that authenticity that the "gay lifestyle" robs us of.
We need authentic friendships. We need to know that you desire to know us, and to love us. And honestly, a vast majority of us might not understand just how well you love us up front, but persist anyway. Love us anyway. I caught on; I know many others will catch on as well.
That personal encounter with Christ in my friends has meant everything to me. God knows that I have such a hard time coming to Him, so He makes a point to draw near to me through the humble and beautiful witness of my friends.
You can be that witness to someone. Please, be brave enough to be that witness.
And lastly, please pray for us.
Prayer changes things, it really does. My life has changed due to the fervent prayers of my faithful friends. This, above all, has taught me about real love, and I do not take a single prayer for granted.
We may not realize it up front, and some may not ever realize, but I have. My dear friends have been so willing to carry me on their backs in prayer, and they have presented me to Christ on Calvary. They've called out to Him saying, "You love this one. Save her!", and He has.
I'm forever changed because of prayer, and not just by prayer that was my own.
Pray for us always. Remember us always. I think that this is the greatest thing that anyone can do.
By design, we were made to encounter Christ. We're called to love Him, and to know Him, and for so long that's really all I wanted, even if I didn't know it right away.
Holiness in others has called me to holiness for myself. It was God that came in and changed me, but it was the witness of those who love Him that opened me up to allow that change to happen.
You're truly spreading the love of Christ by witnessing to those of us who struggle with SSA, and you'll never understand how truly grateful I am for you.
Please pray for us, and know that this day and everyday, I am also praying for you.
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