Introducing Susan Cottrell’s new book, True Colors – Celebrating the the Truth and Beauty of the Real You.
“Every person deserves a place to belong, to be loved, to be whole. I long to offer you that place. And so here it is, just for you. ‘True Colors’ is for healing with others, healing with God, and healing with yourself.” – Susan Cottrell
Check out a free preview of her book. Here’s an excerpt …
I don’t care what you’ve been told, you belong in the family of God every bit as much as anyone else. You may feel betrayed because you believe God has shut you out, but people have conveyed that to you, not God.
You may feel underrepresented in the Bible, because you don’t see LGBTQ people like you – or even the idea of same-sex orientation.
Remember that many stories were not recorded in the Bible: stories of powerful women such as Phillips’ daughters, who were all referred to as prophets in the Bible and in extra-biblical sources—their stories are not recorded. The women who accompanied Jesus in his work, in his ministry—their stories are not recorded.
Out of 1426 characters in the Bible, only 111 are women.
Don’t let it bother you that you feel underrepresented. You ARE underrepresented. Don’t take that as a reflection on your value, but as a reflection of the values of those who wrote the stories.
Let me tell you just two little tales, which I think DO represent you. Beautifully.
First is this story in Acts, when the church is just beginning. Philip is waylaid on his way by Jerusalem to an encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch, whom he baptizes, and then Philip is teleported to his destination. Crazy! Reads to me like a divine encounter! But cooler than that is the fact that the eunuch—this racial, ethnic, gender minority—is the first Gentile to be baptized in the Bible. Philip even says, “I see no reason why we can’t baptize you right now!”
Second is this unique little verse in which Jesus represents you. The context doesn’t help much, because he’s talking about divorce and singleness. But he gives a shout-out to gender-minorities. “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given,” he says. “For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
In other words, even in this ancient middle-eastern, patriarchal, misogynist culture, Jesus has no problem with these gender-minorities… and he has no problem with you either.
I think that is very cool.
You can take incredible courage from how much Jesus deconstructed people’s beliefs. Let these little stories settle in your heart, and own your rightful place as God’s beloved.
– Love,
Susan Cottrell,
FreedHearts.org
An excerpt from Susan’s brand new book—True Colors: Celebrating the Truth and Beauty of the Real You. AVAILABLE HERE !