This is what a whole lot of people will see in two different places at St. Luke's UMC this Sunday:



This is what they will read:
How do you tell the story of turning your back on your son? How does a mother admit that she almost walked away from her first born? The only reason I can tell this story publicly is because I know it has a happy ending.

In 2004, my son, Alan, told me that he is gay. I was devastated and not surprised at the same time. Some how, deep in this mother’s heart, I knew the truth.

I remember saying all the predictable things. But I also remember the night Alan sang at the Next Door Coffeehouse, and his father and I chose not to be there. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that we were going to lose him that night. I called him after his performance and the only thing I could say then was, “Come home”. I had no answers, no earth shattering revelations to change my thinking, but I knew I could not lose my son. Thankfully, he did come home that night and the door to reconciliation began to open.

Reconciliation happened, not only with my son, but with my own image of the nature of the Creator. God began to change my heart, little by little, showing me the beauty in all His creatures. He brought amazing people into my life, and taught me the meaning of unconditional love.

Today I stand proudly by my son. I am blessed to be called Mama Lisa by a number of people whose family chose a different path than understanding and reconciliation. I know God has called me into a ministry of showing unconditional love to a group of people often cast aside by society, and sadly, the church. How could I not answer that call when God demonstrates that kind of love to me every day?

There was forgiveness in the mix as well. My son forgave me for my initial reactions. Now I’m working on forgiving myself.