Embracing Your Child

Family love knows no bounds. When I hear “family values” I think of loving parents that love their children and know that together they can conquer any hurdle.

Woman's Day Magazine Features Groundbreaking Article About Transgender Family
The Huffington Post
By Cavan Sieczkowski
Posted: 10/30/2014

Woman's Day broke ground recently with an article featuring a Christian mother and her transgender son.

The story, titled "The Son God Gave Me," was published in the October 2014 issue of the lifestyle magazine and focused on Gina Kentopp and her transgender son, Kyle.

Kentopp told Women's Day she reconciled her traditional Christian faith with acceptance of her child after reading the memoir of a gay Christian.

"Instead of asking God to change your child, the author suggested, why don't you ask Him to change your heart?" she said. "It was a revelation: I had never even considered that idea."

I think the Woman’s Day article says it all…

…And he has taught me so much—about living authentically, and about not passing judgment on others. Of course, he's had some rough times, but he got through them. His adult journey has begun.

And mine continues. I found a church that accepted our family for who we are—I couldn't worship under pastors who thought my child was going to hell. I learned that I didn't need to worry about what other people thought. I had to stay focused on my family, and remember that God had entrusted us with a precious child—He chose us to be Kyle's parents. We needed to be good stewards of that gift, to love Kyle as he faced a world that at times would treat him harshly.

And God's promised blessing? It turns out I had it all along.

All of these so called “Family Institutes” don’t represent my family values and instead represent hate and alienation. They tear apart families instead of building families.