Scattering Ashes

A Sister's Journey With Her Gay Brother

Smith Helyer

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
• ISBN:
  9781498289771
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Self Improvement

Scattering Ashes is a resource for Christian families confronting the reality of their loved one's gay lifestyle. Joyce Smith Helyer takes the reader on a journey that changed her life when her brother began their midnight Christmas Eve conversation with these words, "Joyce, I have something to tell you." As I waited expectantly for what he was going to say next, he paused, but then shifted the conversation. He tried again, but the same thing happened. I felt like he was trying to land an airplane in trouble and kept circling the airport looking for the best approach. His attempted landings kept falling short of the runway. A vague sense of uneasiness began to fill my mind... Little did I realize that my nice, "typical" Christian experience would be undergoing a significant change... Fear I could barely articulate almost overwhelmed me... Finally, I looked at my handsome, 26-year-old brother and knew the words he was having so much difficulty saying. "Ron, are you trying to tell me you're gay?" His quiet response echoed across the living room. "I thought you had it figured out."

Table of contents

• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Keeping Secrets
• Chapter 2: The Early Years
• Chapter 3: The Turning Point
• Chapter 4: Cries for Help
• Chapter 5: Death Came Knocking
• Chapter 6: Mom, Is Uncle Ron Gay?
• Chapter 7: The Elephant in the Room
• Chapter 8: Extending Grace and Mercy
• Case Studies
• For Further Study