Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been

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And it does that. I know Perry better, and have a better understanding of SSA, because of this book; but more importantly, I know our good God better. It caused me to revel in the miraculous––that God awakens the dead and opens blind eyes to the truth that’s in Jesus, that he’s gracious to relentlessly pursue those who’ve rejected him, and that he does the impossible in saving rebels. To me, what I knew to be God calling me to himself sounded an awful lot like God calling me to be straight, as if his only intention were to transform me partially. But that was far from the truth. Though God was very concerned with how I lived out my sexuality, he was just as concerned with what I did with my hands and if my fingerprints would be found on anything righteous. He was just as concerned with my mind and how it held hell in it at all times. He cared deeply that I use my mouth in a manner that showed some awareness that he was always listening. Our approaches to evangelism, the local church, preaching, spiritual gifts, worship style, etc vary but when there is a unified commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the inerrancy + authority of Scripture, and love for God and neighbor, the unity for which Christ prayed is made possible. Prior to that moment, the sin I wore on my sleeve was that of a lesbian: a label I had the courage to give myself at age 17. This label described an affection I noticed before I knew how to spell my name. When it happened on the playground, I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t quite understand why girls made me feel different. I hadn’t seen any Disney movies that gave me the idea to desire sameness nor had I been challenged by some outside source to see Beauty and the Beast and wonder why Belle couldn’t have been with someone as beautiful and biologically similar as herself. Where it came from made no difference to me. I liked girls, and I knew it.

Perry and Johnson were laughing, heads together, as Perry praised Johnson as a friend and a woman with “all the Holy Spirit.” That was enough for her to start hearing from followers. I had no idea what would come next or how I’d have the power to resist everything I’d once lived for, but I knew that if Jesus was God and if God was mighty to save, then surely, God would be mighty to keep. And 10 years later, he is still keeping this girl godly. I was able to want God because the Holy Spirit was after my affections just as much as he was after my obedience.Asked why she decided to share her family’s story publicly, Alford said that she believes her daughter was treated “unjustly” and that she wants to prevent anyone else from being subjected to similar treatment. You might see me on platforms with Reformed folk one day and non-Reformed folk the next day. You might see me laughing it up with the Southern Baptists one moment and being churchy with some Cogic (Church of God in Christ) saints the next. Why? Because I believe that God’s church is big and multi-faceted, and it’s made up of people that are complicated and nuanced. Eventually, she is threatened by God. After she is told that a lover will cause her death, she totally surrenders. She realizes that she needs freedom not just from lesbianism but from every sign of ungodliness. She accepts Jesus as Lord, and although she is aware that it is a long road ahead, she trusts that God will see her through. Alford said in an interview Tuesday that her daughter had been on probation since October for “some behavioral issues,” including cutting class and being caught with an e-cigarette. She said school administrators, “in a roundabout way,” told her that the probation wasn’t about her daughter’s “sexuality.” However, Alford did say some students were uncomfortable with her daughter’s “perceived sexuality.”

That stance is in line with her position throughout her ministry career; Perry was featured last year in the documentary American Gospel: Christ Alone, which sought to expose the theological errors and ultimate worthlessness of prosperity gospel teaching.On her Christian journey, she finds solace in writing. Poetry becomes a way to express herself to others. Years later, she meets Preston Perry at a poetry event. They share their testimonies and friendship. Soon, they develop affection for each other and eventually get married. Perry’s post referenced her similar position of finding herself alongside leaders she disagrees with and emphasized the importance of not being “tribalistic” in ministry: I don’t believe it is wise or truthful to the power of the gospel to identify oneself by the sins of one’s past or the temptations of one’s present but rather to only be defined by the Christ who’s overcome both for those he calls his own. All men and women, including myself, that are well acquainted with sexual temptation are ultimately not what our temptation says of us. We are what Christ had done for us; therefore, our ultimate identity is very simple: We are Christians. (148) I don’t believe it is wise or truthful to the power of the gospel to identify oneself by the sins of one’s past or the temptations of one’s present but rather to only be defined by the Christ who’s overcome both for those he calls his own.