Jesus heals (why are we surprised?)

"In desperation, I decided to give church another try a few weeks later. The speaker's words penetrated my heart as he talked about healing and forgiveness. I began to believe I could change, so I went to the local Christian bookstore to find a book that would help me overcome my homosexual desires.

"I wasn't sure where to look, so I used the "my friend has this problem and I'm trying to help her" scenario to ask. While the store didn't carry any books, the clerk gave me the name and address of a man in town who ran an ex-gay ministry.

"I kept the card for several weeks before I finally worked up the nerve to write this man a letter in which I cried out for help. Soon he called me and we arranged to meet.

"I was scared the first time I met Allen. I was 26 and had been struggling for 12 years. I'd never been able to talk to anyone openly about my sexuality. Yet that afternoon, as we sat in his living room, I let it all out. I couldn't believe there finally was someone else who understood.

"efore I left, Allen invited me to the support group he held once a month. Through the group, I learned a lot about why I struggled with homosexuality. I started to see how in my lesbian relationships, I'd been searching for the love and acceptance of the mother I felt I never had. Although it took five years, I eventually was able to forgive my mom and build a relationship with her. Amazingly, today we are both Christians and share a loving friendship.

"The biggest obstacle to my healing was dealing with the sexual abuse I'd suffered. The two men who abused me made me fear and distrust all other men. It wasn't until I turned 31 that I began accepting that the abuse wasn't my fault. I was an innocent child who had no control over what happened to me. I did what I had to do to survive at the time.

"My desires for women began to change when I attended my first ex-gay support group and met David. David also had struggled with homosexuality, and two years earlier had learned he had HIV. From the very first meeting, we connected.

"David showed me all men aren't bad. We had fun together. We went for long walks and talked about the future. He listened when I needed to talk and held me when I needed to cry. Most importantly, David was a man of God. His faith was like none I'd known before. He was a leader in his church and his community. He taught me about grace, forgiveness, and healing."

Read the whole thing at CT. Realize that the gays in the gay movement are most vulberable on this issue, and they have convinced many "comapssionate" mainliners that ex-gay ministries are a lie, therefore a cruel lie. The problem is, it is true that people can change, especially where they appeal to God's grace and enter into a supportive network of the local church and a program. From my experiece, there is little that is "gay" about the lifestyle and it is a bondage that can be broken,