4/22/2016 3 Comments BullseyeMy newsfeed has been flooded with all sorts of posts concerning the Target corporation support of transgender bathroom usage. I initially decided to write a similar post with my thoughts, but simply put, I tend to have way too much to say for a status update. So naturally, like my life, I take to blogging. I'm probably (like most things) going to get lots of hate mail or comments from both sides, telling me I'm a hypocrite, or a hard-right- anti-Jesus person. But I've never written for the comments and feedback. I always write to state my perspective, and maybe, just maybe, give new perspective to people who are interested. So here it goes! I think the whole "I'm a Christian and can't use Target's toilets or shop there anymore" is pretty dumb. I think it's really dumb. Again. It's just my opinion. There's not a bible verse that says whether Christ followers should or shouldn't use a bathroom based on their personal preference of who is or isn't allowed in the bathroom. I can mildly understand this perspective. There are natural concerns, including but not limited to, small children being in danger of the opposite sex and or sexual predators lurking in the bathroom prying on naive or unsuspecting people. I get that. I hear the concern from moms, or dads, or students, or victims who don't like the decision. I get it. Really. I have small kids. I have those same initial knee-jerk reactions to news like this. Thoughts and fears about how my girls could be subject to a lifestyle we don't believe is righteous. How my son may see something at a young age that I wouldn't ever choose to voluntarily expose him to because it's not God-honoring. But that has to be our hard line. Our standard. As Christians. Righteousness. Not personal preferences or opinions. But real, hard, and God-defined truth. It's not for us to shame the people who choose this lifestyle. (Yes- I believe it's a choice. And cue the hate mail!) It is not for me and my kids or anyone who identify as someone who loves Jesus, to judge or ridicule anyone who is unsaved- including those who have believed a lie that they can't identify with their gender, for whatever reason. It's my job to show them the ministry of reconciliation to Christ, because Christ showed the same to me in order that I might know His Father. And maybe just maybe, the place that one transgender person is reconciled to Christ, is in the Target bathroom. Selah. Point number 2, is fear. I understand the concern as a parent. For safety. For the security of young kids. But let's be honest- most transgender people, dress well as the opposite gender. You can't tell me they wouldn't be using the bathrooms already. The new "embrace" of said issue, simply says a person doesn't have to "prove with a birth certificate" their gender orientation. When was the last time you proved your gender with your birth certificate? Because honestly- if you're like me and most people I know- your birth certificate is buried in a file drawer somewhere in your house, and you dig it out while huffing and puffing when you have to renew your license at the DMV or something similar. But that's besides the point. The point is, as a believer, my job is to not be afraid. People...don't catch the fear virus. The one that plagues the world unanimously concerning disease, famine, politics, transgender people using the bathroom. Here's an idea: CATCH THE JESUS VIRUS!! If a sex predator wanted to use the opposite bathroom, they probably and have in fact used the opposite bathrooms before- we've seen stories of men lurking in the stalls of the women's toilets before. We've seen women who stalk men at the urinals. It's been in the news. It's not unheard of. So why would we panic now? Why all of a sudden are Christians fearful and outraged? If anything, the Christians should be marching around saying "I won't be afraid!" And "I won't be threatened!" Why? Because "Greater is He who is in you than He that's in the world". And because the "Name of the Lord is a strong and mighty tower- the righteous run to it and are safe". Psalms tells us that we "dwell in safety". I could go on and on and on because the Word, while not clear about what to do with "transgender people in a bathroom at Target", is very very VERY clear about NOT BEING AFRAID. I'm not suggesting we throw out our use of wisdom. I probably won't send my 6 year old into a bathroom alone. But I probably wouldn't have done that before, either. The new "embrace" by Target doesn't change my parenting style of using this wisdom. In fact it should just make us more aware of how to parent in these socially progressive times, where transgender issues are more blatantly observable than decades past. If there's one thing we can do, it's not be afraid. God forbid something happens to someone. It wouldn't be the first time. And sadly, it won't be the last time either. But I can assure you, it breaks God's heart. And it's not cause for mass panic of the bride of Christ. It's time for boldness and faith to accompany us- in every area or venue- including the toilet. Lastly, for now, because I could rant all day long about this, is the idea that people will never shop at Target again. That people will "surrender their red card" or "forget a favorite past time" for the sake of righteousness. Give me a freaking break people. I mean- if you're going to do it, go all out. By all means. But then you'll probably have to shop at hobby lobby, chick-fil-a and your backyard alone. Because when all is said and done, there's a kajillion businesses who support, or profit from, or contribute to, or are in favor of (whether by deliberate stance, or being passive and therefore supporting by default) lifestyles or issues that to the world, that seem acceptable. Things that aren't righteous. But why shouldn't they? I've said it before and I'll say it again: sinners sin! It's the world. They aren't living for holiness. They don't have a clue what they're doing. In fact, as a believer there are days I do the same filthy crummy things. We all do. But the point is, why is Target being reprimanded for embracing a secular behavior, when they're a secular business corporation that's never once identified themselves as a Christian establishment? That's absurd. And shame on us, as the church, for bashing non-believers for behavior that's perfectly acceptable in their own eyes. Shame on us for not praying more for said establishments, before such a decision was made. Before this whole thing came about. Because everyone may hit their knees at this point, but to be honest, fire prevention isn't exactly necessary in the middle of the raging fire. Fire prevention begins before a fire ever starts. And as a nation and a people, globally, the fire is much too hot to start worrying about placement of extinguishers or sounding alarms. (Sorry- that was a super long metaphor or word image- but you get the point.) I'm not suggesting we can't pray or shouldn't pray, but if you haven't already been praying, you can't turn to prayer as the end-all solution now and be angry with the current condition of our culture. The problem, when we as Christians, start shaming the world, whether it's Target or transgender people, or whatever, is that we are throwing the same darts the enemy uses to lie and steal and cheat people with. But we are throwing them not at issues of culture or sin or unrighteousness. We are throwing the arrows - the very arrows of dissention and strife and evil lies of the enemy- into the face of the lost. And those lost people, transgender and all, are children of God. Lost and dying and hurting and living a life apart from Him- yes. But still His heart's desire. And He wants and waits for their reconciliation just the same as He longed for yours. Bottom line- and the take away: I love you. Whoever you are. The Christian who is embracing the transgender community. Or the Christian who is bashing them and picketing and rioting for what you see as a cause of Christ. Or the transgender person deciding which bathroom to use. I still love you. Whether I agree with your decisions or not. Or the sex predator who is lurking on innocent kids. I'm so sorry no one has taught you what real Love looks like- and therefore you've settled for a cheap and incredibly filthy counterfeit called lust or self-gratification in a vile way. There is redemption. There is a way out. And it's through the cross you can be set free. Don't be afraid. Catch the Jesus virus. Don't be judgmental- sinners sin. Don't be such a knee-jerker. Crap has been going on for much longer than this. And it will until Jesus returns. So pray. Pray hard. That he comes quickly. Come Lord Jesus, come.
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4/18/2016 0 Comments Not Outdated, Only ForgottenToday was the straw which broke the camel's back. I was frustrated. I was annoyed. I was beyond irritated with an elderly woman in our community. It has nothing to do with her age, as anyone with the same disregard for other people would have conjured up the same harsh feelings in me. So this is my plea to parents old and new and upcoming alike: please please PLEASE teach your children about respect. It's not outdated. It's not a historic concept. It's not an antique word or concept that will one day be irrelevant. And it is certainly not something that can be "inferred" through the years of parenting. We must be deliberate. We must be intentional. We must. As parents the world is screaming at our kids with messages of sex and violence, magic and terror. In fact the "have it your way" slogan is being engrained into the minds of kids, young and old alike, and I'm not even referring to Burger King. I'm not even going to relive the experience this morning because I should probably keep my blood pressure at a healthy level. My midwife and unborn son will thank me. But what I will say, is that I expected more. Maybe I shouldn't have the bar set so high. But of all people groups, or demographics, I assumed the elderly bracket of adults would understand respect as a part of life. However, I've also learned well that assumption is the lowest form of knowledge and leads me astray more often than not. In the last few months I've seen ridiculous examples, time and time again, where elderly persons are just blatantly disrespectful to others. People of the same age, to younger, and very young others. And it's not ok. You can't cut people in line. You can't shove others out of their turn. You can't make up your own set of rules and expect people to follow them. You can't pretend others don't exist. It's not respectful. And it's certainly not becoming. Ever. Which is again, why, I'm imploring parents to teach their kids about respect. I fear a generation in which all regard for others is lost. And it's not a far off reality either. So how can we do this? Because to simply say "respect others" is not enough. Sit them down. Tell them that respect is important. Tell them what respect means. If you don't know, google it. Or take this "respect for dummies" definition as a starter: thinking and caring about how others feel before doing or saying something". Show them respect. Model it. Give them scenarios at the lunch table and ask how respect would be used. Ask them what disrespect looks like and how not to model it. Show them what the Bible says about respect. Fill their moral "libraries" with respectful resources so that when they leave your sight they can "check out" those resources and use them when it matters most. We want them to fix the problems in the world or to be the solution to the crummy things we see, but we are too busy shuttling them to the next activity, or social get-together, or instagraming their faces to give them the tools necessary to actually do it. To the lady who was completely disrespectful today, to my kids and I, I forgive you. Honestly- you probably didn't even know what you were doing. At least I hope not. And to my children who witnessed this behavior, I pray you can forgive her too. And also see the ugliness that is thinking of self over others, and embrace the idea that Jesus modeled so very well that is respect. Even when He didn't agree or have the same ideology as another, He wasn't rude. He wasn't disrespectful. He preferred others over Himself. He preferred me. And you. And I pray we can love the same way. Respect. It's not an outdated principle. It's a virtuous way of living. And it's rewarding and worth it. And it's simply the right thing to do. |
AuthorBri is the mom to four little people, the wife to a gentle giant, and a lover of Jesus. She's figuring out the best ways to parent by trial and error, and sharing her struggles, successes, and stories with you! Archives
June 2018
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