Connections

I've read several comments posted by RiverStone, and being rather thick, it just dawned on me that she has a site. I took a look at it and it's great--please go take a look. (I'm not saying this just because she mentioned my blog.)

RiverStone wrote a posting about being angry. I've been thinking about how angry I was at my brother Toby for rejecting treatment and help (MY help, too), and for lying about it. But the truth is, I can't make him do anything, even stay alive. I pushed too hard in my attempt to help him and he went and hid again. He would have, anyway, I'm afraid. The disease doesn't want any interference with its progress. I'm still praying for him to break out of that pattern of behavior and alcoholism. I'm also repenting over my anger.

This leads to another link RiverStone has on her site--a posting about the issue of homosexuality in the church not being an "issue", but something with two legs-- people the writer knows. I can relate to this with Toby. Homosexuality is just not even the issue for Toby. It's the alcoholism that has destroyed his life and will probably kill him. Feelings of rejection over being gay may have contributed some to his drinking in the initial stages, but alcoholism is a disease that needs no justification. It makes its own. It moves in and takes over.

I'm going to keep praying hard for Toby to find some strength in himself to turn from it and toward God, from where our help comes, and be set free.

If we look at the people around us as people, with gifts, talents, faults, illnesses and humanity, we realize that sexuality is only a part of the picture--whether we're straight or gay. The question is, do we act toward each other in love?