This... Homosexuality...Uproar?

I can tell you up front that I'm not the type of person that argues.  I do like to make my opinions known and have discussions, but if I have to make a flat out argument with someone, I try to avoid it completely as much as possible. So when it comes to arguing with spiritual things. I immediately pull into the "seriously?" mode of things when I see arguments.  Christians argue with other Christians.  Christians argue with non-Christians.  I'm kind of like Rodney King... "Can't We All Just Get Along?"

Well, before I take a stance and reveal on my personal opinions, I like to view both sides objectively.  Both cases of things.  

A few days ago, the CEO of Chick-fil-a made a statement supporting the fact that the company was against the LGBT movement. Ever since then, there has been a firm disapproval from LGBT supporters of the company, which ultimately seems to pose a threat to the company in itself.  Homosexuality is a big deal for the Christian community. So for the past four years (namely after Obama was elected), the vocal volume of the biblical stance of homosexuality has been magnified. After Obama made a public statement about his support of homosexuality, I have seen more and more fb posts of disapproval for homosexuality and more and more fb posts of approval for homosexuality.   Actually putting themselves in a position to start an argument on both sides.  

The thing that gets me thinking the most is that both sides tend to intentionally instigate arguments.  For one, the LGBT community and its supporters know for a fact that Christians and Christian companies are by no means supporters of homosexuality.  So for them to continue asking a Christian what their views on it is, for one is very audacious and stupid.  EVERYONE knows the Christian stance on homosexuality.  So why ask something that you already know the answer to? But the thing that most Christians do is act as though the LGBT community and its supporters do not know about their stance.  It's like they force feed the issue as being the only primary moral issue that we are dealing with as a country.

 As a Christian, I have been in that place where knowing someone was a homosexual was a freaky thing for me.  It actually stroke fear for me as a kid.   Yes, as a Christian, I firmly believe that the act of homosexuality is wrong.  But, like any other situation that I approach, I have to first put myself in someone else's shoes.  If I were dealing with homosexuality, how would I want someone to minister to me?  I think we all really should think about it (honestly) in that way, it could ultimately put us in a better position to minster to others.  

So I'm going to take the time to emphasize here. The thing that I had to learn is that homosexuality can be and is a serious struggle. I wouldn't necessarily put it in the category of a mental illness, but it ultimately can be like one. I do believe that the devil in some form established it to be like or appear to be like a genetic.  Like a baby can be born with a birth defect. Some people tend to adapt with their surroundings and the trait just develops over time.  I don't necessarily believe that it could be something that every person initially chooses to have. But of course without truly clinging to the saving grace of Christ, a person can easily fall into that lifestyle.  Then there are some people who just blatantly choose to have the lifestyle and don't even think to try to resist it.  But ultimately, "born" with it or not, acting on homosexuality is a decision. 

I think as an African American, I can somewhat identify with what it feels to be ridiculed, or told that I can't do anything because of the color of my skin. I have been told to my face that it was a sin to be in an interracial relationship.  I have been talked about or treated like I was an inferior because I was black. Even my "romantic" relationships are placed on the back burner because of the color of my skin.  The thing that is so crazy is that I haven't even gotten a TOUCH of what it was like 40-50+ years ago when I couldn't even use the same bathroom as a white person. Being an African American then was like being a homosexual is now. Homosexuals are beaten, cursed at, told that they're going to Hell, killed, treated like outcasts, and the like.

Disclaimer: I'm not by any means saying that the situation is similar.  But this is the closest thing that I could think of at the moment to use to express my point.

While I do believe that we as the Christian community should take a stance on our opinions about Homosexuality without wavering, I do believe that we should also take just as much time to evaluate our own personal pride.  Are we fighting against this just to prove that we are right in God's eyes? Or are we doing this because we genuinely love them and don't want their blessings from God to be hindered?  Remember, we are no more or less deserving of Hell.  The only difference is that we have made the decision to open up our hearts to God and let Him work and move in our lives.  That's the most important thing.  More than converting someone from being a homosexual to a straight person.  Yes, the most important thing that you can do for a homosexual is offering them the opportunity to come to Christ.  You can't change them, God can. Put yourself in their shoes, how would you want someone to minister to you if you were in that situation? If they jump off the back and told you that you were going to Hell or that you were the cause of all things bad, would you be accepting?  Don't be the reason why someone pulls away from Christ. 

I think that with the moral position that our country is in, this is the perfect opportunity for the body of Christ to come out strong and win souls for Christ.  But in order to effectively do that, we have to get our pride out of the way.  Pride is a very serious thing and until we get a grip on it and get rid of it, we will put a stumbling to our effectiveness in ministry.

In all of this though, I am really glad that we have the opportunity to experience the saving grace of God.  

-Quayla

Trust

I wanted to write a blog.  I have a feeling that my opportunity to actually write one will be very minimal once school starts.  But who knows.  It may not be.  But I'm sitting here at the computer, struggling to keep my eyes open, with absolutely no idea where I should even begin.

I feel as though this summer has been one of those summers where I feel mentally crazy. Basically because of the major shift in lack of work from the school year.  The summer is where I do a lot of overthinking/analyzing. Becoming a lot more emotionally sensitive (which is not a good thing because I'm the type of person that holds it all in.  The Summer is when it just all explodes if I have nothing to do). I feel as though I develop a minimal filter to things. I get very irritable.  Can't think straight. The list goes on.

But on the positive note, in the summer, I always end up evaluating myself so that I can begin working on and improving into the school year.  It's kind of been interesting how it's been working out because while there are things that God loudly tells me that I need to work on next, there has also been things that He just began to work on without letting me know.  Ha then when He's actually started chiseling away, I realize that I've actually had a problem in that specific area.

My problem area of the Summer: TRUST

Don't get me wrong, I have trusted God a lot. But I'll honestly say that I thought that I trusted Him a lot more than I did think. When I analyze, it's kind of obvious where I didn't trust him though. I would try to think about every possible means that I could personally do to establish myself with security instead of trusting God with it. If you look back to a previous post, you'd see that I sat down and tried calculating what I'm going to do for grad school. Stressing myself about it to the core.  Not wanting to be a 22 year old living with her parents.  And not wanting to be asking her parents for money, having to deal with the adult conflicts or having to answer to another adult.

This summer, I have learned how to trust God in a completely different way.  With everything, especially my emotions.  It's kind of crazy because I actually started living out the fact that God actually knows everything about me instead of just "knowing" that God knows everything about me. The awesome thing is, that He doesn't treat me any differently.   So I thought to myself, "If God already knows everything I'm dealing with, my thoughts, my dreams, my desires,  why do I struggle with telling Him full blown details about my life?"   I mean, I have always told God about things that I'm going through.  But I have to be honest and say that they were very general things.  Like I pretty much do with everyone else.  If I do somehow confide in someone, I wouldn't really give them details, I'd just be like " yeah, this is going on.  It's crazy, but I know that God has everything under control"  But then when I go to God, I wouldn't really say much of a difference "God, I'm dealing with this. So I know You have everything under control and You know what's going on.  So just take care of it."  It's not necessarily a bad thing.  But I do believe that I lacked the intimacy with my relationship with God as for as confiding in Him goes.

I got to the point where I seriously needed someone to confide in completely, not sugar coating or giving partial truths.  Someone who I could confide in and in return was going to tell me the truth, but not make me feel like a complete failure in the process.  Someone who was going to enhance me and not tear me down. I didn't need to confide in someone who was just going to be like "okay." or "I see."  I didn't need someone who was just going to tell me what I wanted to hear.  I needed someone who was going to tell me what I needed to hear.

Instead of me giving God a "general" idea.  I started to get a lot more specific in my conversations with Him.  "God, this is going on.  It makes me feel this way.  I want the result to be this way, but I really don't know if that's something I should want, etc."  Haha I think when I got down into expressing to God explicitly what my feelings and emotions were, I've broken through that barrier that was blocking the progression in our relationship.  I think through all that, no matter how things were emotionally pressing me, I've just known that I could come to God about it. He won't laugh at me. He'd listen to me and then answer me in return and tell me what I need to do.

It's absolutely amazing to know that God is not like mankind.  I can't tell you of a single person that I know that I could tell all of my struggles to and they won't look at me or think of me like I'm crazy. Or wouldn't hold it against me or wouldn't get irritated with my talking about the same thing over and over.

This is why I'm overwhelmed with the love of God.  He never ceases to love me through everything I'm going  through.

-Quayla

Two more weeks

I head back to Lynchburg in a mere two weeks. Everything is just soaking in.  I'm about to become an RA. Officially.  But I think over the Summer, I've had the opportunity to reflect on what that really means.  For once, I want to do something for someone else, where I put my own personal interests and well being aside. These 40 girls are my priority and responsibility for the next 8 months. 

I'm really excited about getting to know these girls. Excited about investing into their lives, on a personal and spiritual level.  Wow, is it seriously pulling in that closely?

My family is leaving for Jamaica on Saturday morning, so I think I will be spending a good portion of next week brainstorming, looking for craft ideas for name tags.  Throwing ideas through my partner, Morgan for the year, hall activities, budget, etc. RHLM's, Hall Meetings.  My mind is spinning from the possibilities. 

I think this is actually the perfect time to plan, start putting things together, etc. 

AHH Exciting!

-Quayla