No peace in Godly whispers, so contrary to the voices of human authority.īeloved, you might be facing conversations you never imagined having with your child. No peace from the advice of those who could never relate. No peace at all when the neighbors whispered. He’d expected his advice to sound as logical to the overwhelmed, grieving couple as not giving into a temper tantrum. The answer to this kind of sexual problem is tough love, not acceptance.Īnd there it was-a straightforward parental response to a misbehaving child, suggested by a respected member of the church.

And as she sat next to her husband, weeping in the pastor’s office, she struggled to absorb everything she was hearing:Īllowing your son to come home condones the sin. The intimate knowing of mother and child-along with the pit of suspicion in her stomach-made certain that her son’s same-sex attraction didn’t come as a surprise.Įven so, it was a small town. She’d labored, kissed away the tears of his childhood, and prayed tediously over the distances brought on by his independence.