1 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:09,600 S1: She has an amazing story of transformation. And today at 2 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,719 S1: the Radio Backyard fence, you're going to hear from Laura 3 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:17,040 S1: Perry Smoltz. She speaks into a culture drowning in the 4 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:21,880 S1: lies of the born that way ideology that claims, desires, 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:26,840 S1: and feelings cannot change. They cannot be overridden. She chronicles 6 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,639 S1: her story in the book. That's our featured resource today 7 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:35,080 S1: at our website. It's titled transgender two transformed. Go to 8 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,599 S1: Chris fabry.org. You can find out more there. Perhaps something 9 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,920 S1: Laura will share today will be helpful for you in 10 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,959 S1: a relationship with somebody you love and care about. Or 11 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:47,840 S1: it might give you a little bit of freedom for 12 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,560 S1: something weighing you down. Maybe something the culture's been telling 13 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,640 S1: you that isn't really true. Let's get going first with 14 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:56,760 S1: a thank you to our team, Ryan McConaughey doing all 15 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,960 S1: things technical. Tricia's our producer. Lisa's helping us out. Josh 16 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,560 S1: is not answering your calls because our program is recorded today. 17 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,400 S1: Don't call our live number, but please get in touch 18 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,400 S1: if you value these conversations. One of the best ways 19 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,400 S1: to do that is to become a back fence partner. 20 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,000 S1: Give a gift of any size each month, and there's 21 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,720 S1: a lot of things you'll get my back fence post, 22 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,280 S1: which is a video we send out every Thursday. For 23 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,560 S1: your encouragement, you'll be able to receive our monthly thank 24 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,880 S1: you that I choose for listeners, and you'll receive a 25 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,800 S1: signed copy of my novel, The Promise of Jesse Woods. 26 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:39,080 S1: Go to Chris Fabry live.org. Scroll down. You'll see how 27 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,520 S1: you can become a partner with us today. Or you 28 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:46,080 S1: can give a one time gift right there. Chris fabry.org. 29 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,680 S1: It really helps us continue these discussions from the heart 30 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,280 S1: to the heart and for the heart. If you'd rather 31 00:01:52,280 --> 00:02:03,200 S1: call and talk with someone, dial 1-866-953-2279. Join the team. 32 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,160 S1: Become a monthly partner today and thank you for your 33 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:11,560 S1: support of the Radio Backyard Fence. Laura Perry Smoltz is 34 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,760 S1: an author and speaker who shares her story of how 35 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,480 S1: Jesus rescued her from a transgender identity. She is co-founder 36 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,920 S1: with her husband, Perry Smoltz of Eden's Redemption. She also 37 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,160 S1: speaks and teaches on a variety of topics related to 38 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:31,239 S1: transgenderism and God's design of human beings as male and female. 39 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:33,880 S1: She's had the privilege to tell her story on a 40 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,840 S1: variety of platforms radio, video, TV. She was in the 41 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,560 S1: documentary In His Image. Her story is told in the 42 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:48,280 S1: autobiography Transgender to Transformed, a story of transition that will 43 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,560 S1: truly set you free. It's our featured resource. Just go 44 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:56,080 S1: to the website. kris.org. Laura, welcome to the program. How 45 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:56,920 S1: are you doing today? 46 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,200 S2: I'm doing great. Thank you so much for having me on. 47 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:00,119 S2: It's such a pleasure. 48 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,359 S1: It seems to me the tide is turning in our culture. 49 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:07,359 S1: And I want you to tell me if you see 50 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,239 S1: what I'm seeing, because I feel like more people are 51 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:16,079 S1: questioning the transgender ideology. AM I reading the social cues? Well? 52 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,960 S2: Yeah, absolutely. And it's interesting that you use that analogy. Uh, 53 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,120 S2: last year we went to the country of Chile, which 54 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,160 S2: in South America, you know, has a very long coastline. 55 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,359 S2: And the Lord just put on my heart that analogy, 56 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,960 S2: that there was a great tide coming in that was, 57 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,480 S2: you know, when you watch the tide, it sweeps the 58 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,400 S2: sand into the sea. And I just felt like the 59 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,040 S2: enemy was trying to drag so many of our children 60 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,480 S2: into the sea. But the Lord put on my heart. 61 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:45,080 S2: And I told the churches there, um, that if we 62 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,440 S2: will pray and seek the Lord and we will repent, 63 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,800 S2: you know, the, the verse that everyone knows if my children, 64 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,120 S2: which are called by my name, will turn from their 65 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,050 S2: wicked ways and seek my face, um, That I will 66 00:03:57,050 --> 00:04:00,410 S2: forgive their sin and heal their land. And I said, 67 00:04:00,410 --> 00:04:03,890 S2: the tide will turn. And when you watch the tide, um, 68 00:04:03,930 --> 00:04:06,610 S2: come back. And then it's dragging some of the sand 69 00:04:06,610 --> 00:04:09,210 S2: from the sea back onto the shore. The other interesting 70 00:04:09,210 --> 00:04:12,930 S2: point about that is that there were these huge boulders 71 00:04:12,930 --> 00:04:16,770 S2: on this one particular coastline. And where these boulders were, 72 00:04:16,930 --> 00:04:19,130 S2: the sand was not being dragged into the sea. It 73 00:04:19,130 --> 00:04:21,849 S2: was protected behind the rocks. And so the Lord just 74 00:04:21,850 --> 00:04:24,490 S2: put it on my heart that, um, when we are 75 00:04:24,490 --> 00:04:28,050 S2: standing firmly planted on the rock, that we are going 76 00:04:28,089 --> 00:04:31,410 S2: to protect so many that are going being deceived. It 77 00:04:31,410 --> 00:04:35,370 S2: has been years of sowing and putting the information out, 78 00:04:35,370 --> 00:04:39,330 S2: me and many others. But just seeing such hard, rocky 79 00:04:39,330 --> 00:04:42,090 S2: ground for a long time and we're really beginning to 80 00:04:42,089 --> 00:04:45,170 S2: see people question now, beginning to see a lot of 81 00:04:45,170 --> 00:04:48,410 S2: information come out. And I really do believe the tide 82 00:04:48,410 --> 00:04:50,969 S2: is turning, but I think the enemy is also ramping 83 00:04:50,970 --> 00:04:55,049 S2: up his efforts. You know, he does not like this conversation. 84 00:04:55,570 --> 00:04:58,170 S2: And so we need to keep praying and keep putting 85 00:04:58,170 --> 00:04:59,090 S2: the truth out there. 86 00:04:59,770 --> 00:05:02,489 S1: You know, the other thing that I see is, uh, 87 00:05:02,570 --> 00:05:08,010 S1: lawsuits that are coming against medical providers who for kids, 88 00:05:08,050 --> 00:05:12,130 S1: you know, who went through the transition or surgery that 89 00:05:12,130 --> 00:05:16,610 S1: that has. That's one way that the, you know, the mental, 90 00:05:16,650 --> 00:05:19,570 S1: the synapses are clicking is like, well, wait a minute. 91 00:05:19,610 --> 00:05:23,450 S1: Now we're opening ourselves up. And so they're, they're shutting 92 00:05:23,450 --> 00:05:24,930 S1: some of those doors, aren't they? 93 00:05:24,970 --> 00:05:28,490 S2: Yeah. They are. And it really is effective. I mean, um, 94 00:05:28,529 --> 00:05:31,890 S2: sometimes you have to, to go after their God, you know, 95 00:05:31,930 --> 00:05:34,770 S2: they worship money for a lot of these people. I'm 96 00:05:34,770 --> 00:05:38,210 S2: sure there are some people that have, you know, motives. 97 00:05:38,210 --> 00:05:41,610 S2: They think this is good for these children. They're deceived 98 00:05:41,890 --> 00:05:44,130 S2: as well. But I think for a lot of them 99 00:05:44,130 --> 00:05:47,010 S2: it's about money. And I think hitting them in the 100 00:05:47,010 --> 00:05:51,010 S2: pocketbook and making them scared that they're going to get sued. Right. I, 101 00:05:51,089 --> 00:05:55,330 S2: I think it's been highly effective, But there's also it's 102 00:05:55,330 --> 00:05:58,210 S2: not just 1 or 2 cases that people might hear of. 103 00:05:58,450 --> 00:06:02,489 S2: There's a Reddit forum that's publicly available. It's you can't 104 00:06:02,490 --> 00:06:05,370 S2: join it unless you are either a D Transitioner or 105 00:06:05,490 --> 00:06:07,930 S2: somebody that's questioning whether you want a D transition, but 106 00:06:07,930 --> 00:06:11,010 S2: you can read it publicly and it's called D transit 107 00:06:11,010 --> 00:06:14,370 S2: is DETRANS, and you can read all kinds of stories 108 00:06:14,370 --> 00:06:17,570 S2: of hundreds and hundreds of kids that regret it and 109 00:06:17,570 --> 00:06:19,810 S2: are angry. They're like, why didn't anybody tell me? Why 110 00:06:19,810 --> 00:06:22,210 S2: did somebody let me do this? I heard so many 111 00:06:22,210 --> 00:06:25,570 S2: kids on there that said like things like, I was 14. 112 00:06:25,610 --> 00:06:28,210 S2: Why did a doctor let me cut off my breasts? 113 00:06:28,570 --> 00:06:32,090 S2: It's so heart wrenching. And last time I looked, there 114 00:06:32,089 --> 00:06:33,850 S2: was over 50,000 members. 115 00:06:34,370 --> 00:06:38,370 S1: Wow. Well, and that is just evidence. And I want 116 00:06:38,410 --> 00:06:40,370 S1: to talk more about that. And I also want to 117 00:06:40,370 --> 00:06:44,370 S1: talk about your story though, because you you have your 118 00:06:44,370 --> 00:06:47,690 S1: story to tell. Other people have their stories. The other 119 00:06:47,690 --> 00:06:50,570 S1: aspect you just mentioned at the church, you know, you're 120 00:06:50,570 --> 00:06:53,610 S1: talking in Chile to the church. I feel like the 121 00:06:53,610 --> 00:06:58,410 S1: church has been slow with this as well. Slow both 122 00:06:58,850 --> 00:07:04,210 S1: in responding to the truth claims, you know, and the ideology, 123 00:07:04,210 --> 00:07:08,050 S1: but also slow with compassion. Because it seems like when 124 00:07:08,050 --> 00:07:10,690 S1: we have an issue like this, it's either, you know, 125 00:07:10,850 --> 00:07:17,610 S1: these are the evil people over here and them and us. And, uh, 126 00:07:17,650 --> 00:07:21,929 S1: we need to be more welcoming to those who are really, 127 00:07:21,930 --> 00:07:25,810 S1: really struggling. And I wonder what your position is on 128 00:07:25,850 --> 00:07:27,450 S1: that or how you see that. 129 00:07:27,490 --> 00:07:30,650 S2: Yeah, absolutely. It's like there's one extreme or the other 130 00:07:30,650 --> 00:07:34,010 S2: in the church. Uh, there's a verse in Proverbs that says, uh, 131 00:07:34,010 --> 00:07:37,450 S2: bind truth and love around your neck. And I, we 132 00:07:37,450 --> 00:07:40,210 S2: really have to learn to walk both of those out. 133 00:07:40,490 --> 00:07:43,290 S2: I think Jesus was not just a loving person. He's 134 00:07:43,290 --> 00:07:46,650 S2: the very source of love himself. And he also said, 135 00:07:46,690 --> 00:07:49,210 S2: I'm the way, the truth, and the life. And even 136 00:07:49,210 --> 00:07:51,650 S2: though he did all these miracles and he fed the crowds. 137 00:07:51,650 --> 00:07:53,450 S2: He said the crowds were just following him because he 138 00:07:53,450 --> 00:07:57,810 S2: filled their bellies. What really impacted people were the conversations 139 00:07:57,810 --> 00:08:00,490 S2: he had people and you see these lives transformed, like 140 00:08:00,490 --> 00:08:03,130 S2: the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery. 141 00:08:04,010 --> 00:08:07,010 S2: Jesus used his words. And I think sometimes we're so 142 00:08:07,050 --> 00:08:09,530 S2: afraid to speak the truth. And there's other people that 143 00:08:09,530 --> 00:08:12,970 S2: are so angry at the agenda that they don't see 144 00:08:12,970 --> 00:08:16,130 S2: the person. Now I do. I have fought the agenda 145 00:08:16,130 --> 00:08:21,050 S2: in certain arenas in in political situations, but for the 146 00:08:21,050 --> 00:08:25,730 S2: most part, we have to look at people as individuals. 147 00:08:25,890 --> 00:08:28,770 S2: There's reasons that people get deceived into this. I find 148 00:08:28,770 --> 00:08:32,689 S2: that underneath all the gender confusion, the identity, the anger, 149 00:08:32,730 --> 00:08:36,210 S2: the pride underneath all of that is a person that's 150 00:08:36,210 --> 00:08:39,410 S2: just hurting, a person that is deceived, a person that 151 00:08:39,410 --> 00:08:43,650 S2: really hates themselves. There's a lot of self-hatred and a 152 00:08:43,650 --> 00:08:47,090 S2: lot of jealousy, a lot of bitterness towards God sometimes 153 00:08:47,090 --> 00:08:50,420 S2: about how their life has worked out. Um, there's things 154 00:08:50,420 --> 00:08:53,699 S2: I don't like about themselves. They're insecure and all that's 155 00:08:53,700 --> 00:08:55,819 S2: underneath all of that. And we have to get to 156 00:08:55,860 --> 00:08:56,939 S2: the heart of the person. 157 00:08:57,780 --> 00:09:00,820 S1: We do. And I'm so glad that you've told your story. 158 00:09:00,820 --> 00:09:05,059 S1: The book is transgender two Transformed a Story of Transition 159 00:09:05,059 --> 00:09:10,220 S1: that will truly set you free. It's our featured resource@cris.org, 160 00:09:10,500 --> 00:09:13,540 S1: written by Laura Perry schmaltz. You're going to hear more 161 00:09:13,540 --> 00:09:26,460 S1: of her story straight ahead on Moody Radio. Thanks for 162 00:09:26,460 --> 00:09:29,420 S1: joining us today at the Radio Backyard Fence. Special guest 163 00:09:29,420 --> 00:09:33,100 S1: is Laura Perry Smoltz. Our program is recorded. Don't call 164 00:09:33,100 --> 00:09:36,500 S1: us today, but I'm going to try to answer or ask. 165 00:09:36,580 --> 00:09:38,699 S1: She's good. Laura's going to answer. I'm going to try 166 00:09:38,700 --> 00:09:41,460 S1: to ask some of the questions that you would ask 167 00:09:41,460 --> 00:09:45,140 S1: if you were able to call in today. And if 168 00:09:45,140 --> 00:09:48,180 S1: you go to the website, Chris Fabry live.org, you'll see 169 00:09:48,300 --> 00:09:53,540 S1: Laura's excellent book that tells her story. Transgender two transformed. 170 00:09:53,700 --> 00:09:56,860 S1: Just go to Chris Fabry live.org. We're going to talk 171 00:09:56,860 --> 00:10:01,459 S1: about this organization that you co-founded with your husband, Eden's 172 00:10:01,460 --> 00:10:05,260 S1: Redemption in a minute. But tell me your story. So 173 00:10:05,300 --> 00:10:09,500 S1: start wherever you want or wherever you usually start, Laura, 174 00:10:09,500 --> 00:10:11,460 S1: and lay it out here for us. 175 00:10:11,660 --> 00:10:14,620 S2: Yeah. I grew up in a Christian home, and we 176 00:10:14,660 --> 00:10:17,060 S2: were one of those families that we were there every 177 00:10:17,059 --> 00:10:19,300 S2: time the door was open, we were involved in all 178 00:10:19,340 --> 00:10:22,420 S2: the little programs. My my dad was a deacon. My 179 00:10:22,420 --> 00:10:24,660 S2: mom was a church pianist and did a lot of 180 00:10:24,660 --> 00:10:27,100 S2: other things at the church. And so we were super 181 00:10:27,100 --> 00:10:30,339 S2: involved and people were shocked. Years later when they realized, 182 00:10:30,380 --> 00:10:33,260 S2: you know what I had been living in, and they 183 00:10:33,260 --> 00:10:35,660 S2: thought we were the perfect family because we looked like 184 00:10:35,660 --> 00:10:37,580 S2: we had it all together. You know, we looked like 185 00:10:37,580 --> 00:10:41,060 S2: the perfect Christian family. Um, but there were just, you know, 186 00:10:41,100 --> 00:10:44,660 S2: like everybody we're, we were broken. And I think that 187 00:10:44,660 --> 00:10:47,579 S2: we forget that we're all sinners raising other centers, and 188 00:10:47,580 --> 00:10:49,699 S2: even on our best day and our best efforts, we 189 00:10:49,700 --> 00:10:52,579 S2: still make mistakes. And my poor mom, which I have 190 00:10:52,580 --> 00:10:55,059 S2: so much grace for now, I love so much. We've 191 00:10:55,059 --> 00:10:58,179 S2: reconciled and forgiven. And now I have a much different 192 00:10:58,179 --> 00:11:02,459 S2: perspective than I did as a child. But she said 193 00:11:02,460 --> 00:11:04,740 S2: she always felt like she was on this performance treadmill 194 00:11:04,740 --> 00:11:07,900 S2: for God. Never being good enough, never doing enough. And 195 00:11:07,900 --> 00:11:10,459 S2: so she was extremely stressed out and burned out as 196 00:11:10,460 --> 00:11:13,780 S2: a kid. And it really began to give me, um, 197 00:11:13,900 --> 00:11:16,339 S2: kind of a warped view of Christianity because I'm hearing 198 00:11:16,340 --> 00:11:18,140 S2: about the love of Jesus, but I'm just seeing all 199 00:11:18,140 --> 00:11:20,940 S2: this stress and frustration. But there was this part of 200 00:11:20,940 --> 00:11:22,819 S2: me that just didn't want to obey the rules, didn't 201 00:11:22,820 --> 00:11:25,220 S2: want to serve God. I got tired of hearing about 202 00:11:25,220 --> 00:11:27,300 S2: Jesus all the time, and I didn't know that I 203 00:11:27,300 --> 00:11:31,340 S2: didn't know him. And throughout my life, I was always jealous. 204 00:11:31,340 --> 00:11:34,580 S2: My brother, always more comfortable around boys, didn't feel like 205 00:11:34,580 --> 00:11:37,179 S2: I fit in with the girls. Um, but I was 206 00:11:37,179 --> 00:11:40,020 S2: having a lot of health problems. I always struggled with 207 00:11:40,020 --> 00:11:44,020 S2: my weight and was always really angry at God because 208 00:11:44,179 --> 00:11:46,540 S2: I just felt like, okay, God made my body, and 209 00:11:46,540 --> 00:11:48,780 S2: even when I would try really hard, I'd exercise a lot. 210 00:11:48,820 --> 00:11:51,500 S2: Still having trouble and I just really began to blame 211 00:11:51,500 --> 00:11:54,900 S2: God because I had so much rejection and I just 212 00:11:54,900 --> 00:11:58,260 S2: didn't like being a girl, didn't like my body. And 213 00:11:58,460 --> 00:12:00,860 S2: instead I turned away from God and I started getting 214 00:12:00,860 --> 00:12:03,339 S2: into a lot of sexual sin. Thought I would find 215 00:12:03,380 --> 00:12:06,059 S2: happiness and freedom. If I would give myself away sexually, 216 00:12:06,059 --> 00:12:09,780 S2: then maybe I would be accepted. Um. And instead I 217 00:12:09,780 --> 00:12:11,980 S2: was used and abused and dumped and rejected over and 218 00:12:11,980 --> 00:12:14,460 S2: over and over and over again. And I just hated myself. 219 00:12:14,460 --> 00:12:18,460 S2: I had no self-worth or value. And instead of turning 220 00:12:18,460 --> 00:12:20,860 S2: back to the Lord, I thought, you know, the reason 221 00:12:20,860 --> 00:12:22,980 S2: this never works out, the reason I'm never happy is 222 00:12:22,980 --> 00:12:25,140 S2: because I was supposed to be a man. And I 223 00:12:25,140 --> 00:12:27,699 S2: was like, this all makes sense. And I found a 224 00:12:27,700 --> 00:12:31,060 S2: support group, um, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where I was living. 225 00:12:31,179 --> 00:12:33,020 S2: And within five minutes they were like, oh, you are 226 00:12:33,020 --> 00:12:35,860 S2: definitely transgender. I was like, I knew it. I knew 227 00:12:35,900 --> 00:12:38,380 S2: this was me. And I was worried I would never 228 00:12:38,380 --> 00:12:40,260 S2: look like a man. And they said, oh, don't worry 229 00:12:40,260 --> 00:12:42,660 S2: about it. After a year or so of hormones, no 230 00:12:42,660 --> 00:12:45,820 S2: one will ever know you were a girl. So many 231 00:12:45,820 --> 00:12:49,220 S2: people that go into these lifestyles, there's something they don't 232 00:12:49,220 --> 00:12:51,860 S2: like about themselves. There's been some kind of pain or trauma, 233 00:12:51,860 --> 00:12:55,059 S2: whatever it is, some kind of brokenness. And it's like, 234 00:12:55,059 --> 00:12:57,780 S2: I can just throw that person away and I can 235 00:12:57,780 --> 00:13:01,460 S2: reinvent myself. It's such a counterfeit of being born again. 236 00:13:01,660 --> 00:13:03,860 S2: Jesus said, no one can enter the kingdom of heaven 237 00:13:03,860 --> 00:13:07,900 S2: unless he's born again. People know there's something desperately wrong, 238 00:13:07,900 --> 00:13:11,500 S2: and there is, but Satan gives them the wrong solution. 239 00:13:11,820 --> 00:13:14,660 S2: We can't reinvent ourselves. To reinvent ourselves is to say 240 00:13:14,660 --> 00:13:17,700 S2: that I am God and I'm my own creator. But 241 00:13:17,700 --> 00:13:19,620 S2: what the Lord wants is for us to come to 242 00:13:19,660 --> 00:13:22,540 S2: him and let him heal us, because we can't get 243 00:13:22,580 --> 00:13:25,260 S2: rid of that old person. But we can come to 244 00:13:25,300 --> 00:13:26,780 S2: Jesus and let him heal it. 245 00:13:26,940 --> 00:13:29,740 S1: How old were you at that point when you found 246 00:13:29,740 --> 00:13:31,979 S1: folks who said, oh, you're definitely transgender? 247 00:13:31,980 --> 00:13:35,380 S2: I was 25. I was in middle school and high 248 00:13:35,380 --> 00:13:38,460 S2: school in the 90s. So if I had grown up, 249 00:13:38,500 --> 00:13:41,220 S2: you know, a decade or two later, um, I would 250 00:13:41,260 --> 00:13:44,060 S2: have been saying that I was transgender at a very 251 00:13:44,059 --> 00:13:47,140 S2: young age, but I started living that way at 25. 252 00:13:48,140 --> 00:13:50,540 S2: And as I did, I started taking hormones and I 253 00:13:50,540 --> 00:13:53,300 S2: started to look more like a man and started dressing 254 00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:56,500 S2: like a man. And the more affirmation I got, the 255 00:13:56,500 --> 00:14:00,220 S2: more it seemed to make that real. And how people 256 00:14:00,220 --> 00:14:02,620 S2: are affirming me and people are celebrating me. And I 257 00:14:02,620 --> 00:14:05,940 S2: felt like this really brave person, and I had this 258 00:14:05,940 --> 00:14:09,140 S2: new identity, and I could just completely forget all the 259 00:14:09,140 --> 00:14:12,180 S2: pain and brokenness of my life. And I was very 260 00:14:12,179 --> 00:14:14,540 S2: aware that this was all kind of artificial. Like, the 261 00:14:14,540 --> 00:14:16,620 S2: only reason I'm looking like a man is because I'm 262 00:14:16,620 --> 00:14:20,100 S2: injecting myself with testosterone. But a couple of years into it, 263 00:14:20,100 --> 00:14:22,980 S2: I went and had a double mastectomy and had my 264 00:14:22,980 --> 00:14:27,340 S2: breasts removed. And I remember, um, I was very excited 265 00:14:27,340 --> 00:14:29,300 S2: at first, just thought this was the greatest thing ever. 266 00:14:29,340 --> 00:14:33,100 S2: The surgery made me legally male. But a few weeks later, 267 00:14:33,100 --> 00:14:36,380 S2: I got really depressed because I realized this surgery hadn't 268 00:14:36,380 --> 00:14:39,420 S2: made me a man and I felt stupid. I thought, well, 269 00:14:39,740 --> 00:14:42,220 S2: why did I think this would make me a man. 270 00:14:42,220 --> 00:14:45,940 S2: It made me legally male. But I thought, well, women 271 00:14:45,940 --> 00:14:48,860 S2: have mastectomies for medical reasons. That doesn't make them men. 272 00:14:49,500 --> 00:14:52,620 S2: And so I thought, well, maybe it's because I have 273 00:14:52,620 --> 00:14:55,300 S2: all these female hormones and all these female organs. Once 274 00:14:55,300 --> 00:14:56,860 S2: I get rid of all of that, then it will 275 00:14:56,860 --> 00:14:59,540 S2: be real. So I had a hysterectomy and I had 276 00:14:59,540 --> 00:15:02,500 S2: the ovaries removed, and that still didn't make it real. 277 00:15:03,140 --> 00:15:06,020 S2: And then I started looking into more surgeries, and I 278 00:15:06,020 --> 00:15:09,060 S2: was horrified when I started looking at what they call 279 00:15:09,300 --> 00:15:14,060 S2: genital reassignment surgeries. That really should be called genital mutilation surgeries. 280 00:15:14,100 --> 00:15:16,980 S2: None of this was real. They're completely artificial. I realized 281 00:15:16,980 --> 00:15:19,540 S2: I would never function as a man, and things started 282 00:15:19,540 --> 00:15:21,740 S2: to dawn on me that I just never thought of. 283 00:15:21,940 --> 00:15:24,220 S2: Like the fact that I would never father a child. 284 00:15:24,700 --> 00:15:28,460 S2: And I just realized that this was all a lie. 285 00:15:28,860 --> 00:15:34,620 S2: And I remember at one point, um, almost maybe not hearing, 286 00:15:34,620 --> 00:15:37,540 S2: but just in my thoughts, almost feeling like the enemy 287 00:15:37,540 --> 00:15:41,110 S2: was gloating over me. Like you fell for this. And 288 00:15:41,110 --> 00:15:44,350 S2: I knew that this was a lie I had believed. 289 00:15:44,510 --> 00:15:47,030 S2: And the whole time over those years, this was maybe 290 00:15:47,030 --> 00:15:49,110 S2: about five years into it, out of nine years that 291 00:15:49,110 --> 00:15:52,550 S2: I lived as trans. And that whole time I remember 292 00:15:52,550 --> 00:15:56,470 S2: so much conviction from the Holy Spirit. And I really 293 00:15:56,470 --> 00:16:00,350 S2: hadn't known Jesus, but I knew the truth and I 294 00:16:00,390 --> 00:16:03,030 S2: knew what I had been taught. I knew this was wrong, 295 00:16:03,510 --> 00:16:06,910 S2: but I kept suppressing the truth. That's what Romans one says, 296 00:16:06,910 --> 00:16:10,350 S2: that they suppress the truth and unrighteousness and all the 297 00:16:10,350 --> 00:16:13,550 S2: affirmation and things that people gave me, and affirming this 298 00:16:13,550 --> 00:16:16,990 S2: identity would help me suppress the voice of the Holy Spirit. 299 00:16:17,670 --> 00:16:20,950 S2: But over time, I began to realize that this was 300 00:16:20,950 --> 00:16:25,430 S2: all a lie, that, um, that I couldn't actually become 301 00:16:25,430 --> 00:16:29,510 S2: another person. And I fell into a deep depression. But 302 00:16:29,510 --> 00:16:32,430 S2: during those years, God was really drawing me. And I 303 00:16:32,430 --> 00:16:37,230 S2: hadn't wanted God. I'd really rejected God. But, um, I 304 00:16:37,270 --> 00:16:40,550 S2: began to God began to show himself to me through 305 00:16:40,550 --> 00:16:43,990 S2: other people, through. I heard so much on the radio. 306 00:16:44,030 --> 00:16:46,390 S2: I was listening to a lot of radio back then. 307 00:16:46,430 --> 00:16:49,230 S2: I was even listening to like, I got into conservative 308 00:16:49,230 --> 00:16:52,510 S2: political radio, which is just another long story of how 309 00:16:52,510 --> 00:16:54,390 S2: I got into that. But they would talk about God 310 00:16:54,390 --> 00:16:56,830 S2: once in a while, and it just drew me little 311 00:16:56,870 --> 00:17:00,910 S2: by little. And as I started to open my heart 312 00:17:00,910 --> 00:17:03,670 S2: to God, I also began to see that during those years, 313 00:17:03,670 --> 00:17:08,389 S2: my parents had been totally transformed. They had always known Jesus, 314 00:17:08,430 --> 00:17:11,030 S2: you know, since they were young. But all of a sudden, 315 00:17:11,070 --> 00:17:14,710 S2: my parents just began to love Jesus even more than me, 316 00:17:14,910 --> 00:17:18,030 S2: and they stopped chasing me. They still loved me. The 317 00:17:18,030 --> 00:17:20,869 S2: door was still open. They would still reach out. But 318 00:17:20,869 --> 00:17:22,870 S2: for so many years, I kept trying to fix me. 319 00:17:22,869 --> 00:17:25,149 S2: And all their efforts, all their energy, all their thoughts 320 00:17:25,150 --> 00:17:27,590 S2: were always about me and worrying about every little thing. 321 00:17:28,230 --> 00:17:30,950 S2: But when they started to love Jesus so radically and 322 00:17:30,950 --> 00:17:33,070 S2: love Jesus more than anything else in the world, and 323 00:17:33,070 --> 00:17:36,510 S2: he was worth everything. It was such a huge testimony 324 00:17:36,510 --> 00:17:40,030 S2: to me, And I ended up giving my life to 325 00:17:40,070 --> 00:17:42,390 S2: the Lord. Largely because of that and because of other 326 00:17:42,390 --> 00:17:45,270 S2: things God put in my life. Um, but that was 327 00:17:45,270 --> 00:17:49,670 S2: a huge influence. And I remember, um, when I saw 328 00:17:49,670 --> 00:17:52,870 S2: the change in my mother, I'll say this. Um, she 329 00:17:52,910 --> 00:17:56,230 S2: had really surrendered me into the Lord's hands. And she 330 00:17:56,230 --> 00:17:59,270 S2: began to just pursue Jesus. And like, at that moment, 331 00:17:59,270 --> 00:18:02,230 S2: I knew the gospel was true. I knew that Christ 332 00:18:02,230 --> 00:18:04,790 S2: was alive. When I saw the change in my mother. 333 00:18:04,790 --> 00:18:07,070 S2: And God really opened my eyes to it. I knew 334 00:18:07,109 --> 00:18:10,070 S2: this was real. And that's, um, part of the reason 335 00:18:10,070 --> 00:18:12,430 S2: that I gave my life to Jesus. And when I did, 336 00:18:12,430 --> 00:18:14,869 S2: I was so excited. I was so on fire for Jesus. 337 00:18:14,869 --> 00:18:17,430 S2: The Lord really met me there and began to change 338 00:18:17,430 --> 00:18:19,830 S2: my heart. But I wanted to be a man of God. 339 00:18:20,070 --> 00:18:23,149 S2: And God was so patient with me, but he didn't 340 00:18:23,150 --> 00:18:25,630 S2: leave me there. He loves us where we are, but 341 00:18:25,630 --> 00:18:27,950 S2: he loves us too much to leave us there. And 342 00:18:27,950 --> 00:18:30,709 S2: so God began to draw me, and he began to 343 00:18:30,750 --> 00:18:32,470 S2: challenge my beliefs. 344 00:18:34,150 --> 00:18:38,230 S1: Laura. That's that's a sweeping story. And as you say, it's, 345 00:18:38,270 --> 00:18:42,870 S1: you know, nine years and then a big change for you. Um, 346 00:18:42,869 --> 00:18:45,869 S1: did you, when you said that your parents wanted to 347 00:18:45,910 --> 00:18:50,109 S1: try to fix you, did you feel condemnation from them 348 00:18:50,109 --> 00:18:51,869 S1: or from other people in the church? 349 00:18:52,270 --> 00:18:54,790 S2: You know, I did at times, but honestly, I look 350 00:18:54,790 --> 00:18:57,869 S2: back at the time I said there were being so hateful. 351 00:18:57,910 --> 00:19:00,710 S2: They were so mean. You know, you Bible thumpers and 352 00:19:00,710 --> 00:19:04,950 S2: things like that. The truth is, I was mad at God. 353 00:19:05,190 --> 00:19:08,229 S2: I knew they loved me. And I think this is 354 00:19:08,230 --> 00:19:10,790 S2: so true. I think sometimes what's going on behind the 355 00:19:10,790 --> 00:19:15,870 S2: scenes is so different from what's actually, um, being portrayed. 356 00:19:16,590 --> 00:19:19,350 S2: And Jesus said, if they hate you, it's because they 357 00:19:19,390 --> 00:19:21,830 S2: hated me. If they reject your message, it's because they've 358 00:19:21,830 --> 00:19:25,230 S2: rejected my message. We have to remember that as Christians, 359 00:19:25,230 --> 00:19:28,950 S2: when we approach someone in love and truth, God knows 360 00:19:28,950 --> 00:19:32,270 S2: our motives. He knows our heart. People are not always 361 00:19:32,270 --> 00:19:35,750 S2: going to receive our message. Well, that doesn't mean we're wrong. 362 00:19:36,630 --> 00:19:38,670 S2: You think about Jesus. He was not only. I said 363 00:19:38,670 --> 00:19:40,830 S2: this earlier, but I want to reiterate he was not 364 00:19:40,830 --> 00:19:44,270 S2: just a loving person. He was the very source of love. 365 00:19:44,550 --> 00:19:46,870 S2: But they tried. They tried to stone him. They tried 366 00:19:46,869 --> 00:19:48,910 S2: to throw him off a cliff. Ultimately, they nailed him 367 00:19:48,910 --> 00:19:52,790 S2: to a cross. You know, sometimes love is not always 368 00:19:52,790 --> 00:19:56,470 S2: received as love. But I've heard so many stories of 369 00:19:56,470 --> 00:20:00,430 S2: people who initially reject it, and then later are so 370 00:20:00,430 --> 00:20:03,870 S2: grateful that someone shared. So my parents during those years 371 00:20:03,869 --> 00:20:06,109 S2: took a lot of abuse from me. I was very 372 00:20:06,109 --> 00:20:08,430 S2: angry at them. I wouldn't talk to them for long 373 00:20:08,430 --> 00:20:12,350 S2: periods of time. But the truth is, I was angry 374 00:20:12,350 --> 00:20:15,510 S2: because I knew they were right. I kept trying to 375 00:20:15,550 --> 00:20:18,669 S2: convince myself that this was okay, that God was totally 376 00:20:18,670 --> 00:20:21,230 S2: okay with me living this way. But I knew they 377 00:20:21,230 --> 00:20:23,790 S2: were right. But in the end, they're the ones that 378 00:20:23,790 --> 00:20:26,070 S2: I turned to when I got tired of all the lies. 379 00:20:26,350 --> 00:20:29,030 S2: I didn't go to the people that had affirmed and 380 00:20:29,030 --> 00:20:31,270 S2: celebrated this lie. I turned to the people that told 381 00:20:31,270 --> 00:20:35,669 S2: me the truth. And my parents held that line even 382 00:20:35,670 --> 00:20:38,350 S2: though they. I knew they loved me. They had proven 383 00:20:38,350 --> 00:20:41,030 S2: they loved me, but I also knew they loved me 384 00:20:41,030 --> 00:20:43,429 S2: too much to affirm that lie over me. 385 00:20:44,230 --> 00:20:46,590 S1: Okay, so there's there's a lot in there. Let me 386 00:20:46,590 --> 00:20:49,990 S1: ask you about the people then who affirmed you in. 387 00:20:50,030 --> 00:20:53,070 S1: You know, becoming Jake is the name that you chose. 388 00:20:53,109 --> 00:20:54,790 S1: Why did you choose Jake? 389 00:20:55,150 --> 00:20:58,590 S2: It was a name. I wrote stories a lot about 390 00:20:58,590 --> 00:21:00,830 S2: me as a boy. Um, when I was growing up 391 00:21:00,830 --> 00:21:03,030 S2: and I had a couple of different characters that I 392 00:21:03,030 --> 00:21:06,030 S2: would use. And Jacob was one of those names. Um, 393 00:21:07,030 --> 00:21:09,630 S2: and so I, but I wanted one of the reasons 394 00:21:09,630 --> 00:21:12,430 S2: I wanted a, um, because some names are a little 395 00:21:12,430 --> 00:21:15,590 S2: bit androgynous. Um, I wanted a name that no one 396 00:21:15,590 --> 00:21:18,869 S2: would ever mistake as a girl name because I wouldn't, 397 00:21:18,910 --> 00:21:21,470 S2: I wasn't like, you know, some people identify as maybe 398 00:21:21,470 --> 00:21:23,949 S2: somewhere in between a little female, a little male or 399 00:21:23,950 --> 00:21:27,870 S2: whatever I wanted to be like completely erased the existence 400 00:21:27,869 --> 00:21:31,550 S2: of Laura. And, um, so here, uh, one of the 401 00:21:31,550 --> 00:21:36,560 S2: cool stories that the Lord put on my heart. A 402 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,520 S2: lot of people ask me about names and pronouns, and 403 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,560 S2: whether we should affirm somebody's name and pronouns that they want. 404 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:44,720 S2: And I can tell you at the time I was 405 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:47,960 S2: angry at my mom. Uh, most of the time they 406 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,880 S2: called me honey or sweetie or something. They didn't. But 407 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:52,760 S2: there were times that she called me Laura, and I 408 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,560 S2: would get so angry and, oh, you know, that's not 409 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:57,440 S2: my name. And you need to call me Jake and 410 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:02,840 S2: all of this. Well, um, I remember, I remember, I 411 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:07,280 S2: can't it's really hard to explain what happened because there 412 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:10,480 S2: was something so deeply spiritual that would happen. But I'll 413 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:12,959 S2: do my best to put it in words. The closest 414 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,760 S2: analogy I've come up with is it's like I was 415 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,959 S2: trying to drown Laura, and when I would hear my name, 416 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,760 S2: something so deep inside it almost felt like something would 417 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,840 S2: come alive and it felt like Laura would breathe again. 418 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:29,199 S2: So I was angry, but at the same time, it 419 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,959 S2: was life giving and it would remind me. And it's 420 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:34,320 S2: like my mom was this tether to reality of who 421 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,520 S2: I was that I kept trying to kill. And Satan 422 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,359 S2: was certainly trying to kill. But it was like that 423 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,080 S2: moment of, yes, that's the truth, even though I hated it. 424 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:46,760 S2: And that's the thing, you know, people, when they turn 425 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:49,480 S2: away from God, they hate God. They're angry at God 426 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,840 S2: for whatever reason. But, um, but the truth is still 427 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,879 S2: life giving. Yeah. We have to remember that. 428 00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:59,920 S1: And isn't it, you know, isn't it interesting that Jesus said, 429 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:03,000 S1: I came to give life and to give it abundantly? 430 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:06,720 S1: And you weren't experiencing that. And, and real quickly before 431 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,520 S1: we take a break, what about the people who affirmed 432 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:14,760 S1: you in your transition when you decided, no, this is 433 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,440 S1: not the right way to go? Did they say, great, 434 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,840 S1: we'll call you Laura again? Were they with did they 435 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,120 S1: walk with you through that transition? 436 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,520 S2: No. A lot of them honestly just didn't even talk 437 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,280 S2: to me anymore. Um, you know, and some of that 438 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:32,560 S2: I had not been real involved in the community anymore. 439 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,200 S2: I kept cutting everybody out of my life that knew 440 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:39,119 S2: the truth. Everybody but my partner. Um, because I didn't 441 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:41,240 S2: want anyone to know that I'd actually been a girl. 442 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:43,720 S2: I didn't even like being in the LGBT community after 443 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,120 S2: a while, because I didn't want to be reminded that 444 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:49,680 S2: this was a choice of this lifestyle. And so that 445 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:51,400 S2: was part of the reason. But I did reach back 446 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:54,080 S2: out to them, uh, after I became a Christian and 447 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:56,359 S2: I left that lifestyle and most of them didn't even 448 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:59,040 S2: respond to me. But I know the Lord still gave 449 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:01,800 S2: me an opportunity to share. Um, I went back to 450 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,120 S2: my coworkers and a lot of them just didn't know 451 00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:06,200 S2: what to do with it. But yeah, you get all 452 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,560 S2: this affirmation and all this celebration. And then when, when 453 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,640 S2: I came out of it, they just, they're gone. And 454 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:16,600 S2: the people who affirmed and celebrated and made me feel good, 455 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,040 S2: they are all gone out of my life. My parents 456 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,640 S2: who held the line, who took so much abuse. They're 457 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:24,399 S2: the ones that are still in my life and we 458 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,600 S2: have a far better relationship. There's a verse in Proverbs 459 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,280 S2: that says, he that rebukes a man in the end 460 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:32,920 S2: finds more favor than he that flatters with the tongue. 461 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,600 S2: And again, that has to be done in love and 462 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:39,800 S2: compassion to see the person, uh, to try to get 463 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:43,280 S2: at the heart underneath, you know, what are they really, um, 464 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,200 S2: going through? But at the same time, to be willing 465 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,440 S2: to share the truth. I've, I've heard so many stories 466 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:53,880 S2: of people that were, um, that really hard things were 467 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:58,680 S2: shared with them. Uh, just another encouragement. They, uh, there 468 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,240 S2: was a girl that called me maybe a few months 469 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:03,680 S2: ago and she said, I haven't talked to my dad 470 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,880 S2: in seven years because he wouldn't use the name and 471 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:10,400 S2: pronouns I want, but and she said I was angry, 472 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:13,280 S2: but lately God has been drawing my heart. And she said, 473 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:17,080 S2: I called him last week to ask him about Jesus. Wow. 474 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,760 S1: Okay. That's a great place to to end this segment 475 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:23,520 S1: because I want to hear more of those stories. And 476 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,320 S1: there's somebody listening. There's a parent listening right now who 477 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:29,600 S1: is hanging on every word that you're saying. Laura Perry 478 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:33,720 S1: Smoltz is our special guest today at the Back Fence. 479 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,400 S1: Our program is recorded. Don't call us today. Featured resource. 480 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:42,400 S1: If you go to Chris fabry.org is transgender to transform 481 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:46,199 S1: the story of transition that will truly set you free. 482 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,840 S1: You'll also find out about Eden's redemption there. We're going 483 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,159 S1: to talk about that and a whole lot more straight 484 00:25:52,160 --> 00:26:08,000 S1: ahead on Moody Radio. Thanks for joining us today at 485 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:11,679 S1: the Radio Backyard Fence. Special guest is Laura Perry Smoltz. 486 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:13,760 S1: You can find out more about her. You can find 487 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:17,040 S1: out about Eden's redemption there. And we have a link 488 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:21,040 S1: to the book transgender to Transform the Story of transition 489 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:25,639 S1: that will truly set you free. Just go to Chris favorite.org. 490 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:29,520 S1: You mentioned your partner at the time. Now, when your 491 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:33,680 S1: partner then through this transition, was that a female? 492 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:37,720 S2: It was actually a male. He was living as transgender. 493 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:40,760 S2: The truth is, I was longing for a man to 494 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,080 S2: love me, but I felt so rejected by men. I'd 495 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:46,280 S2: been so abused by men. And so. And part of 496 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,720 S2: that was my own sin. I was giving myself away 497 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,800 S2: sexually and putting myself in so many bad situations. I 498 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,880 S2: blame them for so long, until I started seeing my 499 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:58,560 S2: own part in that. Not that it excuses their behavior, 500 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:00,520 S2: but at the same time, I was putting myself in 501 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,000 S2: really bad situations. I think I was trying to become 502 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,160 S2: what I felt like I couldn't find, but this guy 503 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,280 S2: who was living as trans at the time, he was 504 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:13,800 S2: living as a woman and he really pursued me. But 505 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,159 S2: after I came out of the lifestyle, it really had 506 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:19,800 S2: a big impact on him. He ended up detransitioning about 507 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:20,639 S2: a year later. 508 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:21,160 S1: Really? 509 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:24,000 S2: Yeah. He kept trying to get back together, and I 510 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,970 S2: knew that the Lord. I've seen some stories where God 511 00:27:26,970 --> 00:27:30,330 S2: reconciles both and they. They stay together. But I really 512 00:27:30,330 --> 00:27:33,770 S2: felt like the Lord just wanted me to completely separate 513 00:27:33,770 --> 00:27:36,170 S2: and not be tied to that identity for the rest 514 00:27:36,170 --> 00:27:40,330 S2: of my life. And so he did. Detransition. So I've 515 00:27:40,330 --> 00:27:42,770 S2: prayed for him. I hope he comes to know Jesus. Yeah. 516 00:27:42,810 --> 00:27:43,490 S2: But yeah. 517 00:27:43,730 --> 00:27:46,730 S1: Okay. I want you to talk to the parent who's listening, 518 00:27:46,770 --> 00:27:50,570 S1: who has gone through everything that your parents went through. 519 00:27:50,609 --> 00:27:53,930 S1: And it's like, how do we communicate? And I want 520 00:27:53,970 --> 00:27:55,650 S1: to give a book, I want to get, you know, 521 00:27:55,690 --> 00:27:59,409 S1: Laura's book and give it to my son or my daughter. Um, 522 00:27:59,930 --> 00:28:04,210 S1: what is your best advice for a parent who has 523 00:28:04,410 --> 00:28:07,170 S1: a son or daughter who is going through that kind 524 00:28:07,210 --> 00:28:08,090 S1: of transition? 525 00:28:08,450 --> 00:28:11,890 S2: Yeah, we actually have a lot of information on this. Um, 526 00:28:11,890 --> 00:28:15,090 S2: we just started a podcast for parents. So go to 527 00:28:15,130 --> 00:28:19,050 S2: Eden's redemption.org and look up our podcast there. You can 528 00:28:19,050 --> 00:28:24,690 S2: find it on the major podcast platforms. It's called redeeming Parents. Um, 529 00:28:24,690 --> 00:28:26,930 S2: because we really have a heart for parents. We want 530 00:28:26,970 --> 00:28:29,850 S2: to help parents through this journey. Uh, we also have 531 00:28:29,850 --> 00:28:32,850 S2: a support group. So if you're interested, um, there's a 532 00:28:32,850 --> 00:28:36,090 S2: Facebook group and then there's, uh, we have a support 533 00:28:36,130 --> 00:28:39,210 S2: group on Zoom. You know, we want to fix our children, 534 00:28:39,570 --> 00:28:41,890 S2: but especially when we're talking about adult children now, it's 535 00:28:41,890 --> 00:28:44,930 S2: very different if we're talking about a young child, but 536 00:28:44,930 --> 00:28:48,170 S2: as adult children, or when we have adult children, we 537 00:28:48,210 --> 00:28:51,410 S2: can't fix them. We can't make them change. We can't 538 00:28:51,410 --> 00:28:54,890 S2: make them see the truth. After talking to hundreds of 539 00:28:54,890 --> 00:28:58,210 S2: parents over the years, the Lord always brings the conversation 540 00:28:58,210 --> 00:29:00,490 S2: around to what he wants to do in the parent. 541 00:29:00,490 --> 00:29:03,370 S2: The parent is so concerned with what their child's doing. 542 00:29:04,130 --> 00:29:06,969 S2: But what is God doing in you? I think so 543 00:29:06,970 --> 00:29:09,090 S2: many times when we have children, we forget that God 544 00:29:09,130 --> 00:29:12,290 S2: had a calling on our life. Um, what did God 545 00:29:12,290 --> 00:29:15,810 S2: create you for and what is God wanting to do 546 00:29:15,810 --> 00:29:17,930 S2: in your heart? My mom said that she was so 547 00:29:17,930 --> 00:29:20,450 S2: angry at everything I was doing, but she realized that 548 00:29:20,450 --> 00:29:23,570 S2: she was full of unconfessed sin. She was full of, 549 00:29:23,610 --> 00:29:26,970 S2: you know, jealousy and bitterness and being critical of others 550 00:29:26,970 --> 00:29:29,730 S2: and all these other things that she hadn't dealt with. 551 00:29:30,170 --> 00:29:32,570 S2: And she said, as she began to surrender me into 552 00:29:32,570 --> 00:29:35,490 S2: the Lord's hands, and she said she climbed up on 553 00:29:35,490 --> 00:29:38,050 S2: the potter's wheel every day and allowed the Lord to 554 00:29:38,090 --> 00:29:41,170 S2: change her. So all these years that she was trying 555 00:29:41,170 --> 00:29:44,530 S2: to force me to change, I resented her and I 556 00:29:44,530 --> 00:29:46,210 S2: would get angry. I always felt like my mom was 557 00:29:46,210 --> 00:29:48,690 S2: trying to hold on my onto my collar and force 558 00:29:48,690 --> 00:29:51,450 S2: me to come back. But it's like she turned around 559 00:29:51,450 --> 00:29:54,730 S2: and just pursued. Started to pursue Jesus. Now that seems 560 00:29:54,730 --> 00:29:57,450 S2: opposite in our human nature. That seems opposite of what 561 00:29:57,450 --> 00:30:00,410 S2: we should do. But often our. Our thoughts and our 562 00:30:00,410 --> 00:30:03,210 S2: ways are upside down from God's. You know, he says, 563 00:30:03,210 --> 00:30:06,090 S2: as the. In Isaiah, I think it's. 55. He said, 564 00:30:06,450 --> 00:30:08,690 S2: as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are 565 00:30:08,690 --> 00:30:10,970 S2: my thoughts higher than your thoughts, and my ways than 566 00:30:11,010 --> 00:30:14,250 S2: your ways. But as she started to pursue Jesus, it 567 00:30:14,250 --> 00:30:18,130 S2: was such an incredible testimony to me. I knew how 568 00:30:18,130 --> 00:30:21,610 S2: bad she wanted the relationship with me. But when Jesus 569 00:30:21,610 --> 00:30:25,370 S2: became more important to her, I began to wonder why 570 00:30:26,610 --> 00:30:31,130 S2: Jesus said. He was asked, what is the greatest commandment? 571 00:30:31,850 --> 00:30:34,090 S2: And Jesus said, love the Lord your God with all 572 00:30:34,090 --> 00:30:35,650 S2: your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, 573 00:30:35,650 --> 00:30:38,810 S2: and with all your strength. The second is like it 574 00:30:39,010 --> 00:30:40,930 S2: to love your neighbor as yourself. But we have to 575 00:30:40,970 --> 00:30:43,170 S2: get that in the right order. If we love our 576 00:30:43,170 --> 00:30:45,610 S2: children more than God, then our children are an idol. 577 00:30:46,210 --> 00:30:48,370 S2: We have to make sure that God is our number 578 00:30:48,370 --> 00:30:52,330 S2: one and that Christ is worth everything. In most countries, 579 00:30:52,330 --> 00:30:56,130 S2: if you claim the name of Christ, your family rejects you. 580 00:30:56,170 --> 00:30:58,410 S2: You may lose your friends. You may lose your job. 581 00:30:58,410 --> 00:31:01,330 S2: You may be beaten, you may be tortured. You maybe 582 00:31:01,330 --> 00:31:04,810 S2: go to jail. I mean, I've heard of like people 583 00:31:04,810 --> 00:31:07,450 S2: going to jail for many, many, many years and being 584 00:31:07,450 --> 00:31:11,090 S2: separated from their family. We are so spoiled in this 585 00:31:11,090 --> 00:31:14,090 S2: country that we think that it won't cost us to 586 00:31:14,130 --> 00:31:17,690 S2: follow Christ. The reality is, it does. But I promise you, 587 00:31:17,730 --> 00:31:22,170 S2: when we are willing to suffer for Christ. The gospel 588 00:31:22,170 --> 00:31:24,930 S2: flourishes everywhere that Christians are persecuted. 589 00:31:25,810 --> 00:31:28,850 S1: What you said about your mom and I totally agree 590 00:31:28,850 --> 00:31:32,210 S1: with you that you know God. God used you to 591 00:31:32,250 --> 00:31:38,290 S1: draw her closer to him. But that's not prescriptive for everybody. 592 00:31:38,330 --> 00:31:41,250 S1: You know, if I get closer to God than my 593 00:31:41,410 --> 00:31:43,250 S1: son or daughter is going to do what I want 594 00:31:43,250 --> 00:31:46,010 S1: them to do. That was your decision. You still had 595 00:31:46,010 --> 00:31:49,490 S1: agency with whether you're going to keep going down that 596 00:31:49,490 --> 00:31:50,770 S1: road or not, right? 597 00:31:50,810 --> 00:31:54,170 S2: Yeah, and that's a good point. Yeah. That's what God used. 598 00:31:54,490 --> 00:31:57,050 S2: But during that time, she was praying for me. She 599 00:31:57,050 --> 00:31:59,410 S2: had a lot of other people praying for me. And 600 00:31:59,410 --> 00:32:02,290 S2: God did so many other things in my life. That 601 00:32:02,290 --> 00:32:05,610 S2: was just one thing that God used that was really powerful. 602 00:32:06,050 --> 00:32:07,930 S2: But I ended up at a job where my boss 603 00:32:07,930 --> 00:32:11,210 S2: was a Christian, and she had a huge influence on me. 604 00:32:11,210 --> 00:32:14,250 S2: I heard so many things over the radio. So God 605 00:32:14,250 --> 00:32:16,450 S2: worked in my life. But I think the reason that 606 00:32:16,450 --> 00:32:19,330 S2: I talk so much about my mom is because the 607 00:32:19,330 --> 00:32:22,250 S2: change in her was so radical, and God used her 608 00:32:22,250 --> 00:32:25,210 S2: as a witness of how he could change someone's life. 609 00:32:25,810 --> 00:32:28,410 S2: And so, yeah, good point that that doesn't mean that 610 00:32:28,410 --> 00:32:31,290 S2: that's going to happen in every situation. But even if 611 00:32:31,290 --> 00:32:34,370 S2: it doesn't, if you get close to Jesus like that 612 00:32:34,370 --> 00:32:36,850 S2: and you are radically on fire for Jesus, if you 613 00:32:36,850 --> 00:32:40,210 S2: allow the Lord to change you, the more he changes us, 614 00:32:40,210 --> 00:32:44,570 S2: the better vessel will be. So sometimes I think as parents, 615 00:32:44,570 --> 00:32:47,050 S2: we're only concerned with our child and all our thoughts, 616 00:32:47,050 --> 00:32:50,210 S2: all our prayers are so consumed with the child. But 617 00:32:50,210 --> 00:32:53,730 S2: what about the millions of souls around you that need Jesus? 618 00:32:54,170 --> 00:32:57,130 S2: There's so many people that God wants you to reach. 619 00:32:57,410 --> 00:33:00,770 S2: And so I think that's where the focus needs to be, is. 620 00:33:00,770 --> 00:33:02,450 S2: I'm going to keep praying for my child. I'm going 621 00:33:02,450 --> 00:33:05,370 S2: to keep trusting God with their life, but I'm going 622 00:33:05,410 --> 00:33:07,610 S2: to do what Jesus has called me to do. And 623 00:33:07,610 --> 00:33:09,090 S2: I think that's what's important. 624 00:33:09,770 --> 00:33:13,010 S1: Laura Perry Smoltz is joining us today. If you go 625 00:33:13,010 --> 00:33:16,530 S1: to Chris Fabry live.org, click through today's information. You'll see 626 00:33:16,570 --> 00:33:19,500 S1: links right there. One of them is to the book 627 00:33:19,540 --> 00:33:24,860 S1: Transgender to transformed. Your maiden name was Perry Laura Perry. 628 00:33:25,300 --> 00:33:30,980 S1: And you married Perry Smaltz, right. And so, uh, that's 629 00:33:30,980 --> 00:33:34,020 S1: interesting to have a husband whose first name is Perry. 630 00:33:34,060 --> 00:33:36,860 S1: That's another thing that, you know, parents would pray for. 631 00:33:36,900 --> 00:33:39,460 S1: It's like, I want my daughter to be my daughter 632 00:33:39,460 --> 00:33:42,060 S1: and not my son. And I want her to be 633 00:33:42,100 --> 00:33:45,860 S1: able to be married. And that's not prescriptive either. You know, 634 00:33:46,060 --> 00:33:49,460 S1: everything that we've just talked about. But tell me about Perry. 635 00:33:49,500 --> 00:33:52,980 S1: How did you meet and and how did you fall 636 00:33:52,980 --> 00:33:53,540 S1: in love? 637 00:33:53,940 --> 00:33:57,900 S2: Yeah. We, um, we had a mutual friend that introduced 638 00:33:57,900 --> 00:34:00,740 S2: us and she said it was just really heavy on 639 00:34:00,740 --> 00:34:03,700 S2: her heart. Um, I, they were, they were in a 640 00:34:03,700 --> 00:34:08,020 S2: singles group together and, uh, she said it was so 641 00:34:08,020 --> 00:34:10,700 S2: heavy on her heart that she needed to introduce us. 642 00:34:10,700 --> 00:34:13,180 S2: Felt like God wanted her to. And she's, we were 643 00:34:13,180 --> 00:34:16,140 S2: actually on a spiritual retreat and we were driving home 644 00:34:16,219 --> 00:34:19,859 S2: when she's telling me about this guy and she's describing him, 645 00:34:19,860 --> 00:34:21,779 S2: and I'm getting more and more interested. He was a 646 00:34:21,780 --> 00:34:26,379 S2: music minister and just sounded like a great guy. And 647 00:34:26,380 --> 00:34:28,180 S2: she showed me a picture and I was like, wow, 648 00:34:28,180 --> 00:34:30,299 S2: he's really good looking. I was like, okay, if God 649 00:34:30,300 --> 00:34:32,420 S2: wants me to meet this guy, I'm getting really excited. 650 00:34:32,739 --> 00:34:36,140 S2: And we looked up and we were driving through Perry, Oklahoma. 651 00:34:37,100 --> 00:34:39,580 S2: I was like, wow, this has got to be a 652 00:34:39,580 --> 00:34:44,420 S2: sign from God. So that was, uh, that was just fun. 653 00:34:44,420 --> 00:34:48,140 S2: And we met, um, the next day she introduced us and, um, 654 00:34:48,180 --> 00:34:50,700 S2: it was funny because it was pouring rain. We were 655 00:34:50,700 --> 00:34:54,779 S2: helping her move actually. Um, and it was, it was 656 00:34:54,780 --> 00:34:57,700 S2: crazy because I just looked like a drowned rat and 657 00:34:57,700 --> 00:34:59,940 S2: I thought, there's no way I want to be introduced 658 00:34:59,940 --> 00:35:02,780 S2: to this guy looking like this. But, uh, we started 659 00:35:02,780 --> 00:35:06,500 S2: dating a few months later, actually, but, uh, totally. Just 660 00:35:06,500 --> 00:35:09,020 S2: within a few weeks, we knew that God had put 661 00:35:09,020 --> 00:35:11,739 S2: us together. I mean, I thought it would just be 662 00:35:11,739 --> 00:35:14,580 S2: a blessing for me to be married, but God always 663 00:35:14,580 --> 00:35:17,060 S2: wants what he gives us to be used for his 664 00:35:17,060 --> 00:35:20,339 S2: glory as well. God has brought so much healing to 665 00:35:20,380 --> 00:35:25,899 S2: me through through this husband. I've. I've understand so much 666 00:35:25,900 --> 00:35:29,259 S2: more about God's unconditional love. Seeing a husband love me 667 00:35:29,260 --> 00:35:33,140 S2: so unconditionally on my worst days when I'm not deserving 668 00:35:33,180 --> 00:35:37,540 S2: of love, and just to see him continue to love 669 00:35:37,540 --> 00:35:41,259 S2: me and support me and cherish me has just been 670 00:35:41,260 --> 00:35:46,420 S2: an incredible experience. And then we opened this ministry together. And, 671 00:35:46,900 --> 00:35:49,900 S2: you know, it was funny what God does and sometimes 672 00:35:49,900 --> 00:35:52,980 S2: things don't make sense. I've, I've, um, I've had a 673 00:35:52,980 --> 00:35:55,060 S2: lot of health problems over the last three years. So 674 00:35:55,060 --> 00:35:56,859 S2: we got married. I was in great shape. I was 675 00:35:56,860 --> 00:35:59,100 S2: in great health. And then all of a sudden started 676 00:35:59,100 --> 00:36:03,020 S2: having all these health problems. But, um, I was in 677 00:36:03,420 --> 00:36:07,620 S2: ICU with like, uh, massive brain inflammation. I was having 678 00:36:07,620 --> 00:36:11,060 S2: all these crazy health problems. And it was during that 679 00:36:11,060 --> 00:36:12,739 S2: time that the Lord put it on our heart that 680 00:36:12,739 --> 00:36:15,219 S2: we were supposed to open our own ministry. And I'm like, 681 00:36:15,219 --> 00:36:16,819 S2: you got to be kidding. Like, this is the time. 682 00:36:16,820 --> 00:36:19,219 S2: Maybe I should pull back from ministry. Maybe God's going 683 00:36:19,260 --> 00:36:21,620 S2: to give me a season of rest. But that's what 684 00:36:21,660 --> 00:36:23,299 S2: God had on our heart. And I thought, well, I'm 685 00:36:23,300 --> 00:36:25,859 S2: going to tell Perry what I'm thinking, and he's going 686 00:36:25,860 --> 00:36:28,259 S2: to think I'm crazy. And he said, no, I think 687 00:36:28,260 --> 00:36:32,219 S2: that's where God is leading. I'm like, really? But, you know, 688 00:36:32,219 --> 00:36:37,100 S2: God has really sustained us through this. And it's been 689 00:36:37,100 --> 00:36:40,740 S2: incredible to see how God has carried me. And even 690 00:36:40,739 --> 00:36:44,420 S2: despite all the problems, like God has been faithful. 691 00:36:45,660 --> 00:36:48,779 S1: And it's called Eden's redemption. We have a link at 692 00:36:48,780 --> 00:36:52,419 S1: the website, Chris Fabry live.org. We also have a link 693 00:36:52,460 --> 00:36:56,259 S1: to the book transgender to Transform the Story of Transition 694 00:36:56,260 --> 00:37:00,660 S1: That Will Truly Set You Free, by Laura Perry Smaltz. 695 00:37:00,940 --> 00:37:05,500 S1: You'll find it at Chris Fabry live.org. More straight ahead 696 00:37:05,500 --> 00:37:15,020 S1: on Moody Radio. Thanks for joining us today at the 697 00:37:15,020 --> 00:37:19,739 S1: Radio Backyard Fence special guest Laura Perry Smoltz. She is 698 00:37:19,739 --> 00:37:23,739 S1: an author and speaker. The book Transgender to Transformed is 699 00:37:23,739 --> 00:37:27,260 S1: our featured resource. She is the co-founder with her husband, 700 00:37:27,260 --> 00:37:31,620 S1: Perry of Eden's Redemption. You can find that link right 701 00:37:31,620 --> 00:37:35,620 S1: there as well. Chris Fabry live.org. Close the loop, though, 702 00:37:35,660 --> 00:37:40,100 S1: on Perry. When you first met, he probably knew about 703 00:37:40,100 --> 00:37:44,739 S1: your past already, but when did you have a conversation about, 704 00:37:44,780 --> 00:37:46,779 S1: you know, what we just shared here today? 705 00:37:47,100 --> 00:37:49,220 S2: Yeah. He didn't. The first day we met, he didn't, 706 00:37:49,219 --> 00:37:53,020 S2: but he did before we got together the next time. Um, 707 00:37:53,260 --> 00:37:56,859 S2: he went home and the friend that introduced us told 708 00:37:56,860 --> 00:38:00,060 S2: him a little bit about me later that day. But, um, 709 00:38:00,100 --> 00:38:03,660 S2: he went home and looked up my testimony and all that. 710 00:38:03,660 --> 00:38:07,700 S2: So he knew my background and he still asked me out. 711 00:38:07,940 --> 00:38:13,980 S2: And when we first started dating, we were. I was 712 00:38:13,980 --> 00:38:17,259 S2: amazed as he would send people my story and he 713 00:38:17,260 --> 00:38:20,980 S2: was so. Not only was he like okay with my past, 714 00:38:20,980 --> 00:38:23,419 S2: but he was so excited about what God had done 715 00:38:23,420 --> 00:38:26,420 S2: in my life and he would tell people. And he 716 00:38:26,420 --> 00:38:29,379 S2: was not ashamed. I would always say, aren't you embarrassed 717 00:38:29,380 --> 00:38:32,180 S2: that I had this past? And he said, no, I 718 00:38:32,219 --> 00:38:34,580 S2: see you as the creature that God has made you, 719 00:38:34,580 --> 00:38:38,180 S2: the new creation, you know? And he would tell people, uh, 720 00:38:38,300 --> 00:38:42,180 S2: that in second Corinthians 517 that, um, everyone who is 721 00:38:42,180 --> 00:38:45,700 S2: in Christ is a new creature, old things have passed away. Behold, 722 00:38:45,700 --> 00:38:49,540 S2: all things have become new. And he would tell people that. 723 00:38:49,540 --> 00:38:53,620 S2: And so it's amazed me that he has been incredibly supportive. 724 00:38:53,620 --> 00:38:55,700 S2: And he said he felt called to be in this 725 00:38:55,700 --> 00:38:56,740 S2: ministry with me. 726 00:38:57,060 --> 00:39:00,580 S1: Wow. So that, again, you know, the unconditional love that 727 00:39:00,580 --> 00:39:03,620 S1: you just talked about that in the past, you'd been 728 00:39:03,620 --> 00:39:08,580 S1: used abused by men. Now, not only are you accepted 729 00:39:08,580 --> 00:39:12,150 S1: and loved, but there's no shame at all about this 730 00:39:12,150 --> 00:39:15,629 S1: past because he sees God's work in your life, right? 731 00:39:15,670 --> 00:39:20,270 S2: Right. Yeah. And God taught me so much about, um, 732 00:39:20,310 --> 00:39:23,470 S2: how he created man for good. I think sometimes women 733 00:39:23,469 --> 00:39:26,149 S2: who are abused and mistreated by men and they start 734 00:39:26,150 --> 00:39:29,589 S2: to hate men or not trust men. And, um, he, 735 00:39:29,630 --> 00:39:31,310 S2: at the time he had been working out a lot. 736 00:39:31,350 --> 00:39:34,790 S2: He was incredibly strong and um, had these big muscles. 737 00:39:34,790 --> 00:39:37,230 S2: And I remember feeling that strength and yet it was 738 00:39:37,230 --> 00:39:40,830 S2: protecting me and not hurting me. And I was like, oh, 739 00:39:40,870 --> 00:39:44,550 S2: this is what God created man for. Um, to protect, 740 00:39:44,550 --> 00:39:48,830 S2: to love, to cherish and to use that strength under control. 741 00:39:49,270 --> 00:39:51,790 S2: And that was a big turning point for me to 742 00:39:51,830 --> 00:39:56,350 S2: see the good of man. And I'm just so thankful 743 00:39:56,350 --> 00:40:00,030 S2: for God's design. And then it also, the more that 744 00:40:00,030 --> 00:40:04,310 S2: he embraced, um, his masculine role, the more I embraced 745 00:40:04,310 --> 00:40:07,509 S2: my feminine role, the more we appreciated each other. I 746 00:40:07,510 --> 00:40:11,310 S2: think sometimes we try to. We try to fill in 747 00:40:11,310 --> 00:40:13,870 S2: the gaps and we try to to be the opposite. 748 00:40:13,910 --> 00:40:17,150 S2: You know, a lot of girls who, um, go in, 749 00:40:17,190 --> 00:40:18,989 S2: not all, but a lot of girls who want to 750 00:40:18,989 --> 00:40:20,710 S2: become men. A lot of times it's because they've not 751 00:40:20,710 --> 00:40:23,589 S2: been protected, they've been hurt. And it's like, well, I'll 752 00:40:23,590 --> 00:40:26,590 S2: become the man. But the more that I began to 753 00:40:26,630 --> 00:40:29,150 S2: trust him, the more I was able to be feminine, 754 00:40:29,150 --> 00:40:32,070 S2: and the more I was able to rest in that 755 00:40:32,070 --> 00:40:33,270 S2: and not fight it. 756 00:40:34,150 --> 00:40:36,670 S1: There's a lot in your story. So many places we 757 00:40:36,670 --> 00:40:40,469 S1: could go. I want you to tell us about Eden's redemption, though, 758 00:40:40,469 --> 00:40:44,710 S1: because this is kind of an an outgrowth of the 759 00:40:44,710 --> 00:40:47,390 S1: story that you've just told. What do you do? What 760 00:40:47,430 --> 00:40:50,310 S1: what is the hope that you have with that ministry? 761 00:40:50,469 --> 00:40:55,830 S2: Yeah. So Eden's redemption really came out of, um, initially 762 00:40:55,830 --> 00:40:58,310 S2: out of my story and wanting other people to know 763 00:40:58,310 --> 00:41:01,710 S2: what God could do in their life. But really, over time, 764 00:41:01,710 --> 00:41:03,989 S2: what God has really given us a vision for in 765 00:41:03,989 --> 00:41:09,190 S2: this ministry is to help other people understand why they're broken. 766 00:41:09,430 --> 00:41:11,990 S2: If you listen to the top atheists in the world 767 00:41:11,989 --> 00:41:13,910 S2: at some point, they admit they don't like a God 768 00:41:13,910 --> 00:41:18,070 S2: that allows suffering. People are trying to figure out why 769 00:41:18,070 --> 00:41:21,870 S2: this world is broken. What happened? Because everybody knows that everything's, 770 00:41:21,910 --> 00:41:24,870 S2: you know, it's not quite right. Something's wrong. And I 771 00:41:24,870 --> 00:41:30,590 S2: think inherently we know that this world is not right. There's, um, 772 00:41:30,910 --> 00:41:33,110 S2: you know, we were all created for the Garden of Eden. 773 00:41:33,110 --> 00:41:35,069 S2: We were created for a world that was perfect, that 774 00:41:35,070 --> 00:41:38,070 S2: had no sin or war or death or disease or abuse, 775 00:41:38,070 --> 00:41:42,430 S2: no broken relationships. And I think we're all trying to 776 00:41:42,430 --> 00:41:44,910 S2: figure out what happened, but we're not in the Garden 777 00:41:44,910 --> 00:41:46,989 S2: of Eden. This world is under the curse of sin. 778 00:41:46,989 --> 00:41:49,710 S2: And that's where Jesus comes in. He he died and 779 00:41:49,710 --> 00:41:52,790 S2: gave his life. He, he entered his own creation first 780 00:41:52,790 --> 00:41:55,910 S2: of all, and became a man and became like us 781 00:41:55,910 --> 00:42:00,310 S2: in our flesh and still fully God, but came in 782 00:42:00,310 --> 00:42:02,549 S2: and entered his own creation, lived a sinless life, and 783 00:42:02,550 --> 00:42:06,029 S2: gave his life as a sacrifice for us in order 784 00:42:06,150 --> 00:42:08,870 S2: that we could be made new and give us the 785 00:42:08,870 --> 00:42:12,350 S2: power to overcome sin. He defeated death and sin, and 786 00:42:12,350 --> 00:42:15,990 S2: he transforms our life. But then we wrestle sometimes with why? 787 00:42:16,030 --> 00:42:18,030 S2: You know, as a Christian, why is life still broken? 788 00:42:18,030 --> 00:42:20,469 S2: Why do I still have these hurts? Why am I 789 00:42:20,469 --> 00:42:22,950 S2: still abused? Or why am I this or that? Why 790 00:42:22,950 --> 00:42:25,910 S2: do I still have health problems? But we we only 791 00:42:25,950 --> 00:42:28,589 S2: see partial now. It's like Paul said, we see as 792 00:42:28,590 --> 00:42:31,830 S2: in a mirror dimly. But one day we will see fully. 793 00:42:31,830 --> 00:42:34,270 S2: And one day, when Christ returns, the curse of sin 794 00:42:34,270 --> 00:42:36,589 S2: will be off the earth forever. And we will see 795 00:42:36,590 --> 00:42:40,270 S2: the redemption of all of creation. And that's the hope. 796 00:42:40,270 --> 00:42:43,069 S2: We look forward to that right now in this life. 797 00:42:43,070 --> 00:42:46,270 S2: As Christ redeems our life, he redeems and restores our heart. 798 00:42:46,310 --> 00:42:49,469 S2: He mends relationships as we learn to forgive, and he 799 00:42:49,469 --> 00:42:53,069 S2: brings so much healing and restoration. But people also need 800 00:42:53,070 --> 00:42:54,830 S2: to know the hope that this world is not going 801 00:42:54,830 --> 00:42:59,190 S2: to be broken forever. And everything we long for in 802 00:42:59,190 --> 00:43:01,549 S2: this life, we are promised one day if we will 803 00:43:01,550 --> 00:43:03,190 S2: trust him and put our faith in him. 804 00:43:04,430 --> 00:43:07,350 S1: I want you to go back to yourself as a teenager, 805 00:43:07,350 --> 00:43:10,910 S1: as you're just starting to go through these, uh, this 806 00:43:10,910 --> 00:43:14,310 S1: situation in your life and thinking that I want to 807 00:43:14,310 --> 00:43:17,350 S1: be a boy. I want to be a man. Put 808 00:43:17,350 --> 00:43:21,029 S1: your arm around yourself at 15 or whatever age. What 809 00:43:21,030 --> 00:43:22,630 S1: would you say to yourself? 810 00:43:23,270 --> 00:43:26,830 S2: Yeah. First of all, I would say to myself, it 811 00:43:26,830 --> 00:43:29,189 S2: just almost makes me cry because I remember how much 812 00:43:29,190 --> 00:43:33,509 S2: pain I was in. Um, first of all, to let 813 00:43:33,510 --> 00:43:36,830 S2: that girl know that she has worth and value, that 814 00:43:36,830 --> 00:43:39,950 S2: God has a purpose for her life, and to know 815 00:43:39,950 --> 00:43:42,469 S2: that the enemy of her soul is after her, to 816 00:43:42,510 --> 00:43:46,629 S2: destroy her. That's the reason she feels so rejected and 817 00:43:46,630 --> 00:43:49,670 S2: so hated, is because the enemy hates her and is 818 00:43:49,670 --> 00:43:53,510 S2: trying to destroy her life. But Jesus wants to rescue her. 819 00:43:54,590 --> 00:43:58,430 S2: And also that, um, I would talk to that girl 820 00:43:59,110 --> 00:44:02,469 S2: about not going into all the sexual sin as much 821 00:44:02,469 --> 00:44:05,910 S2: as I had been, and I don't think I mentioned 822 00:44:05,950 --> 00:44:08,390 S2: that I was sexually abused by a boy that was 823 00:44:08,430 --> 00:44:10,150 S2: a year older than me when I was about eight 824 00:44:10,150 --> 00:44:12,870 S2: years old. That opened up a door of sexuality and 825 00:44:12,910 --> 00:44:17,589 S2: of curiosity. But really, what began to create so much 826 00:44:17,590 --> 00:44:19,870 S2: brokenness in my life is when I turned away from 827 00:44:19,870 --> 00:44:23,430 S2: God and I got into so much sexual sin. And 828 00:44:23,430 --> 00:44:26,669 S2: I thought I would find love, but instead, I was 829 00:44:26,670 --> 00:44:30,350 S2: just so broken by these relationships and feeling used and 830 00:44:30,350 --> 00:44:33,870 S2: abused and just thrown away like trash, always hoping that 831 00:44:33,870 --> 00:44:37,029 S2: somebody would want me, but never finding that we will 832 00:44:37,030 --> 00:44:41,790 S2: never truly find that true love, that true, deep, abiding 833 00:44:41,790 --> 00:44:46,830 S2: love outside of God's design. And in fact, I have, um, 834 00:44:47,110 --> 00:44:50,710 S2: I have talked to so many friends who have had 835 00:44:50,710 --> 00:44:54,190 S2: trouble when they first get married, trusting their husband. And 836 00:44:54,190 --> 00:44:55,950 S2: one of the first questions I ask him is if 837 00:44:55,950 --> 00:44:58,109 S2: they were having sex outside marriage. And most of the 838 00:44:58,110 --> 00:45:02,480 S2: time they were. And I said, you know, God designed 839 00:45:02,520 --> 00:45:05,839 S2: the man to protect you. And when you were having 840 00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:09,160 S2: sex outside marriage. Even if the woman wants it, even 841 00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:13,480 S2: if she's. Even if it's consensual. God still designed the 842 00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:17,799 S2: man to protect you. And when he violates that, that protection, 843 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:21,000 S2: it causes the woman to doubt him and causes a 844 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,440 S2: lack of trust. And when I saw Perry when we 845 00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:26,959 S2: were dating, I had never dated without having sex. This 846 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:29,920 S2: was very difficult for me, for, you know, nine months. 847 00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:31,759 S2: And I realized I was still human. I thought I 848 00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:34,399 S2: was like, this super Christian that wouldn't struggle with all 849 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:36,640 S2: this anymore. And I realized I was weak. But as 850 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:40,480 S2: I saw Perry protect me, and I saw him continue 851 00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:43,919 S2: to deny his desires in order to wait, I have 852 00:45:43,920 --> 00:45:47,640 S2: thanked him hundreds of times for waiting for marriage. It 853 00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:50,880 S2: was so worth it. And I just that's what I 854 00:45:50,880 --> 00:45:52,200 S2: want to tell young girls. 855 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:55,080 S3: It is such a story of transformation. 856 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:58,840 S1: And you said a little earlier, Laura, that you wanted 857 00:45:58,840 --> 00:46:04,359 S1: to erase Your existence and become someone else. And it 858 00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:07,200 S1: was almost like you were drowning. Aren't you glad that 859 00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:10,279 S1: you went into the flood? Under the flood, and then 860 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:13,720 S1: came back up a new creation? I know that there's 861 00:46:13,719 --> 00:46:17,960 S1: somebody listening today who's been affected by your story. Thank 862 00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:20,120 S1: you for being faithful to all of that, to all 863 00:46:20,120 --> 00:46:22,839 S1: the pain and the struggle, and for sharing it here 864 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:23,719 S1: with us today. 865 00:46:24,120 --> 00:46:26,439 S2: Amen. Thank you so much for this opportunity. 866 00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:29,120 S3: Laura Perry Smoltz. 867 00:46:29,160 --> 00:46:31,440 S1: Again, you can find out more about her and our 868 00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:36,399 S1: featured resource. Transgender two transformed a story of transition that 869 00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:39,520 S1: will truly set you free. And there's also a link 870 00:46:39,520 --> 00:46:43,239 S1: right there to Eden's Redemption. Well, there's a lot right 871 00:46:43,239 --> 00:46:48,040 S1: there at the website, kris.org. Our program is a production 872 00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:51,800 S1: of Moody Radio, a Ministry of Moody Bible Institute.