"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven."
Matthe 5:16 KJV
There is a transgendered rights activist group called Transgendered Menace. They have
done some good work advocating for our rights, but I have a small problem with their group.
It's the name. Yes, I understand the point. People see us as a menace, but we aren't going
away just because of that therefore the "menace" will be around for awhile.
My problem from a Christian perspective with the name is that none of us is called by God to
be a menace (except maybe to Satan). I would prefer that the name be Transgendered Blessing
because that is what we are called to be, a blessing.
Now, I can see the objections forming right now. You expect ME to be a blessing to
THEM. Do you know how they treated me? Do you know what they said to me? Do you
know how many churches threw me out? No, I don't know. I know how they treated me. I
know what they said to me. I know I had to leave seven or eight churches before finding a good
church that accepted me. But you see none of that really matters. Because whatever they did or
did not do to me is irrelevant.
Jesus said: "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" (Mat
5:44 KJV)
This is not optional. We are to be a blessing. It is a command. Now, unless you have a
good explanation about why you disobeyed a direct order from the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords, we have to start finding ways to be a blessing to those around us.
Of course, there are sometimes practical challenges in fulfilling this command. Some people
turn away from us and refuse any attempts from us to bless them. This is hard to take, but I
would suggest that those are the very people who need God's blessings most of all.
So what are some ways we can be a Transgendered Blessing in our daily lives?
1. Let Pain Call Out to Pain. Most of us have faced painful experiences in our lives. That
means that we have a natural empathy for those who are hurting. Many times those who
oppose us most vigorously are those who are in the most pain. Look past the insult to the
hurting soul. If you have been hurt, do not return the hurt, you would simply be adding pain
to pain. Instead, go down on your knees before God for that person. Ask God to help heal
that person's pain. And in the process of praying for their pain, you will be amazed to find that
your pain fades as well.
2. Get Involved in the Life of Your Church. I do understand that we are all in churches
representing various levels of acceptance. Some of us are open about our transsexualism.
Others of us are not. So there may be some practical limits to this suggestion, but still I think
there are various ways we can show forth God in our lives by our service in the local
assembly. One way is by regular attendence and supporting the church financially. Another
way, is to be involved, even in a small way with the normal ministries of the church. Buy a
candy bar from the Sunday School kid. Bring some brownies to the bake sale. Come to
mid-week services. Help clean the church. And if you have greater acceptance levels offer to
teach Sunday school and take part in the various women's (or men's) ministry activities.
3. Be Friendly (Even if they are not). There was a woman in our church who was always
pretty cool toward me. She said little to me and her look at me cut right through my soul. The
Lord led me to make a special effort every Sunday to shake hands with her and smile. It took
about three or four years, but one Sunday she stopped me in the parking lot and said, "I have to
apologize to you. I really misjudged you." We are now on very good terms. She even asked
me to speak to the church Women's group once. I believe that it was due in no small part to my
being obedient to God in his command for me to show myself freindly.
4. Meet the Practical Needs of Others. If you know someone is sick, can you take over a
casserole for dinner? If someone's car breaks down, can you offer a ride to church or the
market? If you have a skill which might help a brother or sister in the church can you lay that
skill on the altar and use it to glorify God in meeting their needs? Jesus didn't only teach the
people, he fed and healed them. He met their practical needs as well as their spiritual ones.
5. Finally, and most important of all, Pray One for Another. Sometimes, we toss off a
phrase like, "I guess all I can do is pray" as though this were a small thing. Prayer is
powerful. Prayer unleases God's power to work in this world. And the first place he starts
working is in your heart and life. For the past couple of months our church has been having
daily prayer with our families at 7:30 p.m. Each church family at that time turns off the TV,
Nintendo, Radio, or Computer and spends a half hour in prayer and Bible reading. I've noticed
such incredible spiritual growth in my life and my ability to help others has grown
exponentially. In my prayer time, God keeps giving me ideas and direction for this and other
ministries. And you know there are times when I can feel the prayers of Gods people going up
for me, for Emergence or for Inspiration On-Line. And when that happens it's like my batteries
have been recharged and I can run a little bit longer.
No, I am not a Transgendered Menace, and I may not be a total Transgendered Blessing yet,
but today I'm pledging myself to God to turn away from the first and pursue the second with all
my heart.
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by Maurine C. Waun by Roberta Showalter Kreider (Editor) Also In This Issue: An Open Love Letter To My Brothers
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