Dear sweet John, while I know that my own actions have brought you pain, I hate to see you living that way. I cannot tell you that Christianity will always bring you peace and hope, but I can tell you that my own life has been completely transformed by my faith in Jesus Christ and an understanding of His grace.

I am not the person you once knew. I’m even better. No, seriously - I don’t live in fear anymore. I make mistakes and know that they have already been forgiven and I have a chance to try again. I feel anger and frustration, and I have a God that is big enough to handle that anger. I am sad and lonely, and I have someone who is there when I cry. I deal with crap of magnitude I never imagined, and I am not abandoned.

Look, the church - especially the Southern Baptist church - sucks at caring for the hurting. It offers cheap platitudes and band-aid cures in the form of quoted Scripture used out of context and principles based on legalism. But that’s not God. God weeps along with us. He never imagined or designed a life full of pain and hurt for us - He longs for so much better. He gave His all so that we could have it someday. We’re just stuck here, dealing with crap, until we get to actually be perfected and with Him.

If you want to talk, send me an email. My heart goes out to you, hon…:(