Help Whosoever Spread "Great Peace" in 2008
"Your simple message hit its mark and resonated in my soul as a mom loving her son and wanting his happiness above all without offending God. Yes, nothing can take us away from God's hand. Not even this."
Those words arrived in my mailbox recently. Not my email box, but the box down at the post office. It's rare that I receive handwritten thank you notes from those who have stumbled upon Whosoever and have been uplifted by what they find here.
The note reminded me why I put up the first crude Web page called Whosoever back in 1996. I told myself that if just one person found a spark of hope within the words on the screen then Whosoever had done its job. By that standard, Whosoever has been a wild, unimaginable success, touching many lives in our 11 years online. Our online communities, including our regional Rainbow Fish groups, give more than 1,500 people a place to connect and fellowship.
A handwritten note from a mother struggling to accept her child's transgender nature brought me back to Whosoever's original mission - helping people know that, just like a good parent, God loves them, no matter what. Over the years, it's safe to say that I lost sight of that simple goal.
I have always dreamed that the magazine would have enough money to employ a cadre of paid writers to produce words of hope. I tried fundraising, asking people to donate money to the cause so I could become Whosoever's full time employee, making a living from these pages. It was not to be. No matter how I have tried to change or grow Whosoever, it remains what it is - an all volunteer operation with a budget that has never exceeded $3,000 in one year.
Despite our low budget, Whosoever has always paid its bills. There has always been enough money - often coming just in time - to pay for the Web hosting service. There was enough money this year for us to partner with Soulforce and sponsor a rider on their Equality Ride. There's been enough money to buy ink to print brochures and other promotional material that we've distributed at conferences and pride celebrations. We've even been able to keep our hardware and software up-to-date with the latest Web technology.
All in all, we've done great things on a shoestring budget and we continue to need your support to maintain the level of excellence we've provided since 1996.
I am writing this note to ask that you search your heart and ask yourself what would happen if Whosoever ceased to exist tomorrow. For the woman who wrote me the thank you note, perhaps she would not have found the assurance she sought. Perhaps she would not have found that message that resonated in her soul and helped her realize that "nothing can take us away from God's hand."
Most of us think nothing of going out to dinner one or two times a month. Dinner for two can cost $35.00 or more. It's another $35.00 or $45.00 to take in a movie, depending on whether or not you're in the mood for popcorn and a drink. We don't mind spending money on things that are worth it or bring us joy. With that in mind, I ask you to consider the value to our community of hearing about God's unconditional love. For the woman who wrote to me, it's priceless.
What is the cost of not hearing about God's unconditional love? Unfortunately, our community knows that cost too well. Too many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christians have paid the price. They've turned their backs on God, believing the lies that God hates them simply for who they are and who they love. Some have even ended their own lives, unable to cope with the idea that the God who created them could hate them so thoroughly.
For the cost of a dinner out or a night at the movies, you could help ensure that Whosoever's message of hope resonates in more souls this year. I am asking each of you to pray for this ministry and how you can help. Can you spare $10.00, $25.00, $35.00 or even $45.00 each month if you knew it could help someone realize that God is crazy in love with them and wants nothing but the best for them?
Instilling hope in another person isn't very expensive - but we need you to help us continue our valuable work. Whatever you can spare will go a long way to helping other hurting human beings find hope and healing.
As Whosoever enters its 11th year of existence, let us return to our basic message: "We are all Whosoever, created and loved by God, no matter what." That message meant a lot to this mother, who concluded her note with this:
"Please know that I am grateful. I am floundering in how this will all go down - family, social, professional for him/her, but understanding and remembering that God loves our souls no matter what leaves me with a great peace."
Please, help Whosoever spread "great peace" in the coming year.
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