Dear God - 1. Dear God

This gave me chills. But, this is where it starts, with the child. Love is love, and they should be taught that. I believe it with all my heart, and taught my child and I'm teaching her child(my grandson) the same. So beautiful, and thanks for sharing.

BTW, if you've anything else you'd like to share, I'd love to read!

I agree with Jo Ann - it gave me chills too and tears in my Eyes.. Beautiful story.. Love is love - simple and true, that's what I tell my nieces and nephew..

Must read story again

If you read a story with a chapter called Dear God on a site called Gay Authors, three possibilities come to mind. 1) It's a story about a child speaking to God. 2) It's a story about a parent speaking to God. 3) It's a story about a confused and angry person speaking to God. (I'm sure there are others, but those are the three I can think of.) Whatever the possibility, a character speaking to God suggests that they are at their wit's end, and are relying on, or striking out against a power they believe to be either far stronger or much falser than they, to help them. So, because I am at my wit's end at thinking of how to write a review to do justice to this story, I will mimic the author.

Dear God,

Thank you for giving us the writer named Graeme. Many writers forget what's it like to be children and create sneaky, false youngsters who do not resemble the real thing at all. It does a disservice to children and adults alike. That is why I'm thankful for Graeme. Certainly, this writer remembers what it is like.

Thank you also for inspiring Graeme to keep the limits of the child's understanding at a child's level, but at the same time not underestimate how wise that limited understanding can be. Thank you for the clever way he points out the hypocrisy of people who preach hate in the name of love, without making them out to be demons doing it on purpose. Thank you for the wit invested in the power and glory of people devoted to deluding themselves and what a powerful effect it can have on the mind. Thank you for helping writers like these understand that God Himself isn't the bad guy, it's the way people interpret His intent that brings us problems. Thank you for the compassion and diligence shown by the author in approaching the other side of a deep abyss, without the anger or rancor that only deepens that abyss.

I wanted to let you know, God, that I thought it awfully nice how you inspired Graeme to think of a little child who humorously believes they need to repeat their doubts to both God and Jesus (when an adult might criticize the little one for being redundant), or fervently believes in the power of the word "amen" to end prayers. I really like how you guided Graeme's hand to deftly touch on a number of issues without coming across as preachy or pretentious. Thank you, God, for protecting the ears of the little on in this story; it's better to misunderstand words like that than it is to learn their true meaning.

But last of all, God, I wanted to ask you to help more people, whether through this story or others, or any number of other means, to tilt their ears, bend down and listen to a child's voice more often. Guide their hearts and minds to open both ears and hear the words that are spoken out of a desperate desire for the truth to be known. But more than all of this, I ask you to help reunite the Mummys and the Daddys with the Tommys and the Brads, or the Catherines and Julies, so that they can do their natural job as mentors to people who are searching for love, no matter the human vessel that may contain it.

Amen!

Out of the mouths of babes. They say that a child is innocent until they grow up then their innocence goes the way of the belief in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny. This prayer was was so sad yet so very beautiful. A little girl talking to God to understand something his world has no understanding of. Her big brother is gone because he is bad. So she now wants to understand what is the bad that he is done, she has three pint of view. As typical of a little child she blames herself obviously she has done it for not liking the girl next door. But realized that her brother was bad for loving Brad, but her heavenly father and Sally say you are supposed to love everyone so in her mind if her brother is wrong for loving Brad then that means that she can't love anyone, cause that would be a sin. There are so many people hurt with bigotry and it isn't always the ones that are involved. A son will lose his family especially his little sister which he loves so much as to sneak in to try to assure her that he will be fine just won't be allowed to come home. The parents lose their son. But the hidden pain is this sweet little girl who loses everything, she loses her brother, and worst of all she will lose that beautiful innocence of a child because with one action her parent have taught her not to love people, family or anyone because it will be a sin. This little girl faith and love is so strong she is seeking help the nly way she knows...pity the parents didn't do that first. Very beautiful story, brought tears to my eyes.

The best way to approach religion without approaching moral tradition

Love how you approached it Graeme, the little girl felt real and her plight was understandable. When parents ostracize their gay/bi/trans child, most authors will focus on the victimize kid, but the impact affect others as well. A family is not a family unless everyone can be whole; a home cannot stand if you break apart its foundations.

Thanks for writing, I hope you will get back to writing a long form story again someday

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with us. Brink has touched each and every point that I would have praised loftily. It is, all in all, a very well done short story. Hope we shall get to hear more from you.

Thank you so much! Every time I think of, utter, or hear the phrase 'out of the mouths....', I know I need to listen intently. I am hearing something very special. I hope I never forget that God, or whatever you call that which is so much bigger than you or me, knows me so very much better than I know myself. I've just finished Part One of Lilydale, and stopped on Dear God on my way to Part Two. What a precious moment, this random stop has been! Thank you so much!

Beautifully written from the perspective of a young child. This is a story that shows no matter how 'grownup' we are we can still learn, in this case from the pure sweet innocence and simplicity of a child's mind. Wisdom doesn't always come from age, the parents show that, sometimes it comes from the mouth of a child, as it does in this case. Love is not a sin, neither is who you love.