The Bridge Between Us: Loving Your LGBT Identified Child Without Compromising Biblical Truth

What if God is working in your child's life in ways you cannot see?

In today's episode of The Bridge Between Us Podcast, you'll hear a personal testimony of faith, homosexuality, and God's persistent love.

One statement from this conversation especially stood out to me:

"God was pursuing me even when I was walking contrary to Him."

What a powerful reminder that God's love and pursuit are not limited by what we see happening in someone's life.

If you're a Christian parent praying for a child whose choices or beliefs are different from your own, I pray this conversation encourages you to keep trusting God with the parts of your child's story you cannot control.

Connect with Steve Goble: stevegoble@hotmail.com

What do you do when your adult child's choices, beliefs, or lifestyle look nothing like what you hoped and prayed for?

Maybe your child has walked away from their faith, is struggling with addiction, is in a relationship you don't understand, or is making decisions that leave you worried about their future.

You love your child deeply. But you're also grieving, questioning, and wondering:

How do I love my adult child without agreeing with everything they do?

How do I stay connected without compromising my beliefs?

And how do I let go of control without giving up on my child?

In this episode of The Bridge Between Us Podcast, Melinda Patrick explores what it looks like to love your adult child faithfully when their life doesn't look the way you imagined.

We'll talk about the grief parents sometimes carry, the changing role of parenting adult children, and why loving your child doesn't mean fixing them, agreeing with every decision, or abandoning healthy boundaries.

Because sometimes the greatest shift we can make is learning to love the child who is actually in front of us—not just the child we hoped they would become.

In this episode, you'll learn:

•

Why you can love your adult child deeply and still grieve the future you imagined

•

How unprocessed disappointment can quietly affect your relationship

•

Why your child is more than the choices or struggles that concern you

•

How your role changes when your child becomes an adult

•

Why listening and understanding don't automatically mean agreement

•

How to maintain healthy boundaries without trying to control your child's decisions

•

The difference between loving your child and using love as a strategy to change them

•

How your core values can help you respond with wisdom instead of fear

•

Practical ways to reconnect with the child who is actually in front of you

A question to take with you

Am I loving the child who is actually in front of me—or am I mostly relating to the child I hoped they would become?

You don't have to understand every decision your child makes to treat them with dignity.

You don't have to agree about everything to remain willing to listen.

And you don't have to abandon your convictions to love your child well.

Your job isn't to force your child's story back onto the path you imagined.

It's to seek God, walk wisely, and remain faithful with the relationship you have today.

Scripture referenced

•

Romans 12:9–18

•

James 1:19

•

Romans 5:8

Want help walking this out in your own family?

You don't have to navigate these difficult parenting seasons alone.

One-on-One Coaching with Melinda Patrick

If you're struggling with a specific situation, second-guessing your decisions, or wondering how to set boundaries while maintaining a relationship with your adult child, one-on-one coaching provides space to work through your unique circumstances with greater clarity and confidence.

Send an email to: melinda@melindapatrick.org or connect through https://www.melindapatrick.org

Boots On the Ground — Seven-Week Group Coaching

Our fall cohort is full, but registration for the Winter cohort (which begins in January 2027) opens in November, and a waitlist is already forming.

If you'd like to be among the first to hear when registration opens, join the waitlist by sending an email: melinda@melindapatrick.org or connect through https://www.melindapatrick.org

Subscribe to The Bridge Newsletter: Sign me up!

When You've Prayed and God Still Seems Silent

You've prayed.

You've asked God for wisdom.

You've asked Him to change the situation.

You've asked Him to reach your child.

You've asked Him to show you what to do.

And yet…you still don't have an answer.

What do you do when you're walking through a hard parenting season and God seems silent?

In this episode of The Bridge Between Us Podcast, Melinda speaks to the parent who is tired of waiting and wondering what God is doing.

Whether you're praying about a strained relationship, your child's faith, addiction, difficult choices, reconciliation, or a situation that hasn't changed despite years of prayer, this conversation will help you consider a different question:

What if God isn't giving you the whole answer because He's asking you to trust Him with the next step?

This isn't about pretending waiting is easy. It's about learning to remain grounded in God when you don't have the certainty you desperately want.

In This Episode

•

What to do when you've prayed but still don't know what to do

•

Why God's silence and God's absence aren't the same thing

•

How we can unknowingly decide what God's answer should look like

•

The difference between seeking wisdom and seeking certainty

•

What God may be doing in you while you're waiting

•

Why not having an answer doesn't mean you have to become paralyzed

•

How to recognize what you already know to do faithfully

•

Why asking a smaller question can help when the whole situation feels overwhelming

•

How to pray without turning every conversation with God into problem-solving

A Question to Sit With

If you've been asking:

"God, what am I supposed to do?"

try making the question smaller.

Ask:

Lord, what is my next faithful step?

You might also consider:

Am I asking God for wisdom—or certainty?

Am I listening for His direction—or primarily waiting for the outcome I want?

What do I already know to do faithfully, even without the whole answer?

What might God be forming in me while I wait?

Scripture for Reflection

Proverbs 3:5–6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Psalm 62:8

"Pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."

Key Takeaway

You don't need enough light for the next five years.

You need enough light for the step in front of you.

There may be seasons when God doesn't give you the certainty you want. But you can still love. You can listen. You can establish healthy boundaries. You can seek wise counsel. You can care for yourself and the other relationships God has given you.

And you can keep walking.

Sometimes the prayer shifts from:

"God, give me the answer."

to:

"God, help me know You here."

Share This Episode

If you know a parent who has been praying for their child for a long time and is beginning to wonder where God is in the waiting, consider sending them this episode.

They may need the reminder that they don't have to see the entire road to take the next faithful step.

What do you do when you discover something significant about your adult child—but they don't know that you know?

Do you bring it up? Wait for them to tell you? And how do you know whether the urgency you feel is God prompting you to act—or fear telling you that you need to do something now?

In this Let's Walk This Out Together episode of The Bridge Between Us Podcast, Melinda responds to a listener who recently learned that her daughter experiences same-sex attraction. Her daughter hasn't shared this with her, and the parents are wrestling with whether to initiate the conversation or wait.

While this listener's situation involves same-sex attraction, the principles in this conversation apply to many hard parenting seasons—whether you've discovered something about your child's relationships, faith, addiction, finances, marriage, or another part of their life they haven't yet shared with you.

Together, we'll talk about how to slow down before stepping in, examine what's behind the urgency you feel, and discern whether this is a time to speak, listen, or wait.

In this episode:

• Why information doesn't always equal assignment
• How fear can make a situation feel more urgent than it actually is
• Why your child's timeline may be very different from yours
• How to consider why your child may not be ready to tell you
• Why "Who do I want to be in this moment?" can be more helpful than immediately asking, "What should I do?"
• How your core values can guide you when you don't know what to say
• How to prepare for a difficult conversation without forcing one
• What listening well can look like when your child finally opens up
• How to open the door gently if you believe God is leading you to initiate the conversation
• Why trusting God sometimes means trusting Him enough to wait

Reflection:

What is creating my sense of urgency?

Is anyone actually in danger—or am I responding to what I'm afraid might happen?

Am I trying to relieve my own anxiety, or build a bridge for relationship?

What values do I want guiding me if this conversation happens?

What kind of listener have I been when my child has brought me difficult things?

Can I respect my child's timing if God hasn't clearly asked me to intervene?

And perhaps most importantly:

What would trusting God look like today?

You don't have to force a conversation simply because knowing and not speaking feels uncomfortable. Sometimes the next faithful step is speaking. Sometimes it's listening. Sometimes it's preparing your own heart and trusting God with the timing.

You don't have to make tomorrow's decision with today's fear.

Do you find yourself rewriting texts, avoiding certain topics, or replaying conversations because you're afraid one wrong word could push your adult child further away?

When a relationship with your child feels fragile, even ordinary conversations can start to feel high-stakes. You may stay quiet to keep the peace or find yourself explaining, correcting, and saying too much because silence makes you anxious.

Either way, fear of losing the relationship can quietly begin shaping how you show up.

In this episode of The Bridge Between Us Podcast, Melinda talks about what happens when you start walking on eggshells with your adult child and how to move from fear-driven communication toward a more grounded, faithful way of relating.

Whether your child has walked away from their faith, is making choices you don't understand, is struggling with addiction, has embraced an LGBT identity, or your relationship has simply become strained, this conversation will help you focus on what is yours to steward.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How fear of estrangement can change the way you communicate
• Why constantly monitoring the relationship makes it difficult to actually be present in it
• Why every conversation doesn't need to become the conversation
• The difference between listening and agreeing
• How to be honest without allowing fear to control your words
• Why your child's reaction isn't the only measure of whether you handled a conversation well
• How to stop making decisions based on "What do I have to do to keep them?"
• A practical question to ask before your next difficult conversation

One question to take with you from this episode:

If I weren't trying to control my child's response, how would I want to show up in our next conversation?

You don't need the perfect words to guarantee your child will stay close. Your responsibility is to seek God and learn how to show up with wisdom, honesty, love, and faithfulness—while trusting Him with what you cannot control.

If this episode has helped or encouraged you in any way, please forward it to a friend who may need help and encouragment, too.

To connect with Melinda: https://www.melindapatrick.org

Click here to subscribe to The Bridge Newsletter.

How Do I Know If It's God Leading Me—or My Fear?

When you're walking through a hard season with your child, fear can sound surprisingly convincing.

I need to say something.

I need to fix this.

What if I wait too long?

What if I make the wrong decision?

What if something happens and I could have prevented it?

But how do you know when God is leading you to act—and when fear is creating a sense of urgency?

In this episode of The Bridge Between Us Podcast, Melinda helps Christian parents slow down and look beneath the pressure to do something. You'll learn how fear can influence your decisions, why your desire for a particular outcome can make discernment more difficult, and how your core values can help you remain grounded when you don't know what to do next.

The goal isn't to eliminate fear before making a decision. It's to learn how to recognize when fear is leading—and return to God for wisdom about your next faithful step.

In This Episode

• Why fear often creates a sense of urgency
• The difference between protecting your child and trying to control an outcome
• Why feeling afraid doesn't necessarily mean you're making the wrong decision
• Questions to help you discern what's actually driving you
• How to uncover the story your fear is telling you
• Why your core values matter when emotions are high
• The difference between influence and control
• How to remain faithful when you cannot control your child's response

A Question to Sit With

When you're facing a difficult decision concerning your child, complete this sentence:

I'm afraid that if I ________, then ________ will happen.

Or:

I'm afraid that if I don't ________, then ________ will happen.

Then bring the fear underneath that answer honestly before God.

Ask yourself:

What am I actually afraid of?

What outcome am I trying to control?

Does something truly require action right now—or does it only feel urgent because I'm anxious?

What values do I want to guide me?

And what would it look like to trust God with the part of this story I cannot control?

Scripture for Reflection

James 1:5

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault."

Key Takeaway

Fear may be present without being in charge.

You don't have to figure out your child's entire story today, and you don't have to make tomorrow's decisions with today's fear.

Slow down. Ask God for wisdom. Pay attention to what is happening inside you. Return to the values God is cultivating in your life.

Then ask:

Lord, what does faithfulness look like today?

Ready to Go Deeper? — Boots On the Ground

Knowing what you believe is important. But when parenting becomes painful or complicated, another question quickly follows:

How do I actually live out what I believe when I'm scared, hurt, confused, or unsure what to do?

That's part of the work we do inside Boots On the Ground, Melinda's seven-week coaching journey.

Together, you'll work through beliefs, core values, listening, loving, boundaries, living your own life, and bringing it all together so you can navigate hard parenting seasons with greater clarity and confidence.

Information about the next cohort is available HERE.

Share This Episode

If you know a Christian parent who is afraid of making the wrong decision with their child, send this episode to them.

Sometimes the next faithful step begins by realizing we don't have to make every decision from fear.

Connect with Melinda: https://www.melindapatrick.org

What do you do when you know an upcoming family moment is going to feel emotionally complicated?

In this episode of Let's Walk This Out Together, Melinda responds to a listener who is preparing to meet her son's same-sex partner at his birthday celebration and is already feeling anxious about how to act, what to say, and whether simply showing up will communicate something she does not intend.

Rather than focusing on having the perfect words, this conversation invites parents to prepare their hearts first.

Because sometimes the wisest thing we can do is separate the event from the bigger relationship, slow down the fear that wants to script every possible scenario, and ask a better question:

Who is God inviting me to be in this moment?

This episode is for any Christian parent preparing for a visit, celebration, or family gathering where love, grief, conviction, and uncertainty all seem to be present at the same time.

In This Episode

• Why it helps to separate the event from the larger relationship
• How fear can make us rehearse conversations that may never happen
• Why your presence can communicate love without resolving every question
• How to hold celebration and grief at the same time
• Why core values matter more than having the perfect script
• How prayer can help you prepare your posture before a difficult family moment
• What it looks like to focus on faithfulness for today instead of carrying the weight of the entire future

A Question to Sit With

Before your next difficult interaction, ask yourself:

Am I preparing my heart—or just preparing my words?

Then consider:

What values do I want to carry into this moment?

Do I want to be calm? Kind? Present? Respectful? Anchored? Loving?

What would faithfulness look like for the next two days—not the next two years?

Key Takeaway

You do not have to solve every relationship question during one visit.

Sometimes the purpose of the moment is simply to show up with love, remain anchored in God, and trust Him with what unfolds.

You can celebrate your child while still carrying grief.

You can remain faithful to your convictions without making every gathering about those convictions.

And you can walk into a difficult moment without having every answer.

Scripture for Reflection

James 1:5

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

Colossians 3:12

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

Let's Walk This Out Together

Once a month, Melinda takes a real question from a listener and walks through it much like she would in a coaching conversation.

Together, we slow down, look beneath the surface, consider what Scripture says, and discern what a faithful next step might look like.

If you have a question you would like Melinda to consider for a future episode, submit it through the link in the show notes or reply to one of her emails.

If you're wrestling with it, chances are another parent is too.

Boots On the Ground

If you find yourself asking, "What do I do in situations like this?", that is one of the reasons Melinda created Boots On the Ground.

Inside the course, parents learn how to become spiritually grounded before difficult moments arrive, respond from their values instead of their fears, and navigate hard conversations with greater clarity, confidence, and peace.

You'll find more information about Boots On the Ground HERE.

Share This Episode

If this conversation encouraged you, share it with another Christian parent who may be preparing for a difficult family gathering or carrying anxiety about an upcoming interaction with their adult child.

If I asked what you most want God to change about the situation with your child, you could probably answer quickly.

Maybe you want a decision reversed. A relationship restored. A conversation to finally happen. Or you desperately want your child to see something you wish they could see.

So you pray:

"God, please change this."

There is nothing wrong with bringing that desire to God. But what if there is another prayer to pray in this season?

"God, what do You want to do in me while I wait?"

In this episode, we're shifting some of the attention away from everything we hope God will do in our adult child's life and asking a harder—and potentially transformative—question:

What might God be doing in us?

I share the words of one parent who came into Boots On the Ground wanting God to change her daughter and walked away realizing that God had changed her.

Her circumstances weren't suddenly under her control. Her daughter's choices hadn't become hers to manage. But those choices no longer had the same control over her.

That's the kind of transformation we're talking about today.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• How our child's journey can slowly become the center of our spiritual attention
• Why praying for God to work in our children and allowing Him to work in us can happen at the same time
• What difficult circumstances may reveal about fear, control, identity, grief, and trust
• The difference between trying to "figure out the lesson" and simply becoming available to God
• How God may be teaching us to listen, surrender, trust, and hold truth and compassion together
• Why experiencing joy again doesn't require waiting for every family circumstance to be resolved
• A simple practice to help you pay attention to what God may be doing in you during this season

Questions to Take to the Lord This Week

Start with the prayer you may already be praying:

"Lord, what do You want for my child?"

Then make room for another:

"Lord, what are You doing in me?"

As you sit with Him, consider:

• What is this situation revealing about me?
• What fears or beliefs have surfaced?
• Where am I still trying to maintain control?
• Has my identity as a "good parent" become connected to my child's choices?
• What have I learned about God in this season?
• What have I learned about myself?
• Where have I grown?
• Where might God be inviting me to trust Him differently?

You don't need to come away with ten answers.

Maybe there's just one thing the Lord is putting His finger on today.

One faithful next step is enough.

Boots On the Ground

This is the kind of work we do inside Boots On the Ground.

We don't spend seven weeks trying to figure out how to change our children. We look honestly at how we're showing up, what's driving us, what we're carrying, where God is leading us, and what faithfulness looks like in the relationships we're actually living.

Our fall groups begin in September, with both daytime and evening options.

If you're a Christian parent with an adult child who has embraced an LGBT identity and you're looking for support as you navigate faith, relationship, communication, boundaries, and your own walk with God, you can find the details and application in the links HERE.

Connect with Melinda:

https://www.melindapatrick.org

Your child has their journey. You have yours. Let's learn to walk yours faithfully.

When something is happening in your child's life that you desperately want to change, it can all start feeling like your responsibility.

Their choices.

Their relationship with God.

Whether they understand what you're trying to tell them.

Even what happens next.

In today's episode, Melinda shares a way that can help us determine where the lines of responsibility get blurred.

Listen in as she discuss how to determine what responsibility is ours, what is our childs, and what is Gods.

Releasing responsibility isn't the same thing as withdrawing love.

Loving someone does not give me ownership over their choices.

My child is a person God has created and there are parts of their journey that we cannot walk for them.

Journaling activity: HOW DO I KNOW WHEN I'VE PICKED UP SOMETHING THAT ISN'T MINE?

Am I constantly rehearsing conversations?

Does my peace rise and fall based on my child's latest decision?

Am I trying to prevent every consequence?

Am I praying or strategizing?

Am I more focused on what God needs to do in my child than what He might be doing in me?

Here is more information on the upcoming Boots On the Ground course.

Connect with Melinda: https://www.melindapatrick.org

Please share this episode.

If today's conversation encouraged you, would you share it with another parent who may be feeling stuck in fear, uncertainty, or doubt?

You never know how God may use one conversation to bring hope to someone else's journey.

Have you ever walked away from a conversation with your adult child and spent the rest of the day replaying every word?

Should I have said more? Did I say too much? Was I loving enough? Did I compromise my convictions?

If you've ever found yourself caught in that cycle of second-guessing, you're not alone.

In this episode, Melinda introduces one of the most important foundations for parenting with confidence and consistency: core values.

Many parents believe they lack the right words or the perfect parenting strategy. But often, the real problem isn't a lack of love—it's a lack of clarity.

When we haven't decided who we want to be before we enter a difficult conversation, we allow the moment—and our emotions—to decide for us.

This episode will help you move from reacting out of fear, guilt, or uncertainty to responding from values that are rooted in God's character and the person He is forming you to become.

In This Episode

• Why many parents replay conversations long after they've ended
• The real reason we second-guess ourselves
• The difference between reacting emotionally and responding intentionally
• What core values are—and what they are not
• How your values become internal boundaries that guide your decisions
• Why confidence comes from knowing who you are, not from controlling the outcome
• How aligning your values with God's character brings greater steadiness and peace

Take some time this week to prayerfully reflect:

• What is currently driving how I show up in difficult conversations with my child?
• Am I responding from fear, guilt, or the desire to control?
• What values do I want to define how I show up as a parent?
• How would my conversations change if I stayed anchored in those values instead of my emotions?
• What kind of parent is God forming me to become in this season?

Scripture for Reflection

Colossians 3:12–15

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another... And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts..."

This passage reminds us that our identity in Christ shapes how we respond to others. Our values are not something we simply choose—they grow out of the character God is developing within us.

Key Takeaway

Confidence doesn't come from knowing exactly what to do in every situation.

Confidence comes from knowing who you are when you step into it.

When your values are rooted in God's truth instead of your emotions, you can leave a difficult conversation with peace—not because the outcome was perfect, but because you showed up faithfully.

Boots On the Ground

This episode is inspired by one of the foundational teachings inside Boots On the Ground, where we go deeper into identifying the values that guide your parenting and learning how to live them out in everyday conversations and decisions.

If you'd like to be among the first to know when the next course opens, be sure you're subscribed to my email newsletter. Subscribers receive updates, encouragement, and early access to new course enrollment.

You can join the email newsletter through the link here or on my website.

Share This Episode

If today's conversation encouraged you, would you share it with another parent who may be feeling stuck in fear, uncertainty, or self-doubt?

You never know how God may use one conversation to bring hope to someone else's journey.

One of the most common—and most heartbreaking—questions I hear from Christian parents is this:

"Can I love my child without compromising my faith?"

When your adult child embraces an LGBT identity, it's natural to wrestle with difficult questions about truth, love, boundaries, and what faithfulness looks like.

How do you remain true to God's Word while continuing to love your child well?

How do you know when your presence communicates love instead of approval?

How do you honor both your convictions and your relationship?

In this month's Let's Walk This Out Together episode, we slow down and thoughtfully walk through a real question from a listener who is wrestling with these very concerns.

Rather than offering quick answers or one-size-fits-all advice, we explore the heart beneath the question, what Scripture reveals about God's character, and how to discern the next faithful step with wisdom, truth, and grace.

If you've ever wondered whether it's possible to hold firmly to your faith while maintaining a loving relationship with your child, this conversation is for you.

In This Episode

• Why the better question isn't "What should I do?" but "What does the heart of the Father look like in this situation?"
• The fear many Christian parents quietly carry about "getting it wrong"
• How Jesus modeled both truth and grace without compromising either
• The difference between conviction and rejection
• How to discern your next faithful step without allowing fear to lead
• Why every family needs wisdom, not a formula

Reflection Questions

Spend a few quiet moments with the Lord this week and reflect on these questions:

• What fear is shaping my decisions right now?

2. What belief is driving my urgency?

3. What kind of parent is God inviting me to be?

4. What belongs to me and what belongs to God?

Scripture for Reflection

John 1:14

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Romans 5:8

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

James 1:5

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

Key Takeaway

You do not have to choose between loving your child and remaining faithful to God.

God has always been both holy and loving.

As parents, we are called to reflect His character by holding onto truth while extending grace, compassion, and love.

Remember:

Your responsibility is faithfulness. God's responsibility is conviction.

Let's Walk This Out Together

This episode begins a new monthly feature on the podcast.

On the first episode of each month, we'll take a real question from a listener and walk through it together—not with quick answers, but with thoughtful, biblical discernment.

We'll slow down, look beneath the surface, consider what Scripture says, and explore what a wise and faithful next step might look like.

If you have a question you'd like me to consider in a future episode, I'd love to hear from you. You can submit your question through my website (https://www.melindapatrick.org) or simply reply to one of my emails.

If you're wrestling with it, chances are another parent is too.

Ready to Go Deeper?

If today's conversation resonated with you and you're longing for more than information—if you're ready to put these principles into practice—I invite you to join me in Boots On the Ground.

This coaching experience is designed specifically for Christian parents who have an adult child who has embraced an LGBT identity. Together, we'll learn how to live out truth and love with greater confidence, wisdom, and peace.

Topics include:

• Identifying the beliefs shaping your parenting
• Defining the values that guide your decisions
• Learning to hear God's voice for your unique situation
• Building healthy boundaries that strengthen relationships
• Loving your child well without compromising your faith
• Understanding your role—and trusting God with His

Enrollment for the next cohort is opening soon, and email subscribers receive the first opportunity to register.

Join the waitlist here.

Share This Episode

If this conversation encouraged you, would you consider sharing it with another Christian parent who may be carrying these same questions in silence?

Together, we can remind one another that it is possible to walk in both truth and love—with wisdom, grace, and the steadfast hope found in Christ.

Fear is a natural response when someone we love is making choices we don't understand or when the future feels uncertain. For many Christian parents, fear can quietly become a constant companion—fueling worry, second-guessing, and an exhausting need to control outcomes.

In this episode, Melinda explores how fear influences our parenting decisions and why it can become a hidden strategy for navigating difficult relationships with our adult children.

You'll learn how to recognize fear-driven responses, distinguish fear from wisdom, and begin taking your next steps from a place of trust rather than anxiety.

If you've ever found yourself replaying conversations, worrying about the future, or feeling responsible for outcomes you cannot control, this episode will encourage you to pause, reflect, and invite God's wisdom into the places where fear has been leading.

In This Episode

• Why fear is a normal part of parenting adult children
• How fear can quietly become a parenting strategy
• Common ways fear shows up in relationships with adult children
• The difference between fear and wisdom
• Why fear often pushes us toward control
• How to recognize the beliefs underneath your fears
• Practical reflection questions to help you respond thoughtfully instead of react emotionally

Reflection Questions

Take some time this week to prayerfully consider:

• Where is fear showing up most often in my parenting?
• What am I most afraid will happen?
• What story am I telling myself about my child's future?
• Am I carrying responsibility for outcomes that belong to God?
• What would it look like to trust God with this situation today?
• What is the next faithful step God may be asking me to take?

Scripture for Reflection

Isaiah 41:10

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

2 Timothy 1:7

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Key Takeaway

Fear may be part of your parenting journey, but it does not have to lead it.

When fear drives our decisions, we often become focused on controlling outcomes. Wisdom invites us to trust God, remain present in the relationship, and take the next faithful step—even when we cannot see the entire path ahead.

Stay Connected

Make sure you're subscribed to Melinda's email newsletter for additional encouragement, resources, and updates designed specifically for Christian parents navigating complex relationships with their adult children.

You'll also be the first to hear about upcoming enrollment dates for the Boots On the Ground course. New course dates will be announced soon, and email subscribers receive information and access before the general public.

Sign up through this link or visit Melinda's website to join the community.

If this episode encouraged you, share it with another parent who may be struggling with fear and uncertainty in their relationship with an adult child.

Together, we can learn to walk with wisdom, trust God more deeply, and find peace even when the future feels unclear.

Guilt is one of the heaviest burdens many Christian parents carry, especially when an adult child makes choices that differ from their values, faith, or hopes for the future.

Questions like What did I do wrong?, Could I have prevented this?, or Did I fail as a parent? can quietly shape how we think, pray, and respond.

In this episode, Melinda explores the difference between guilt and conviction and how unresolved guilt can influence our parenting in ways we may not even recognize. She discusses why many parents take responsibility for outcomes that were never theirs to control and how guilt can keep us stuck in the past instead of moving forward with wisdom and grace.

If you've been carrying regret, second-guessing your parenting decisions, or feeling weighed down by what you wish you had done differently, this conversation will encourage you to experience the freedom God offers and begin parenting from a place of faith rather than guilt.

In This Episode

• Why guilt is so common among Christian parents
• The difference between guilt and conviction
• How guilt can keep us trapped in the past
• Why adult children's choices are not always a reflection of parental success or failure
• The hidden ways guilt influences communication, boundaries, and decision-making
• How God's grace applies to parents, too

Reflection Questions

Take some time to prayerfully reflect on these questions:

• What parenting regrets do you find yourself revisiting most often?
• Are those thoughts leading you toward growth or keeping you stuck in shame?
• Is there a difference between what God is showing you and what guilt keeps accusing you of?
• How might guilt be influencing your current relationship with your child?
• What would change if you fully embraced God's grace for yourself?

Scripture for Reflection

Psalm 139:23-24

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Romans 8:1

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 103:12

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

Key Takeaway

Healthy conviction leads us toward growth and restoration. Guilt keeps us trapped in self-blame and responsibility for things we cannot control. As parents, we can learn from the past without allowing it to define us. God's grace was never intended only for our children—it is available for us as well.

Connect with Melinda:

melinda@melindapatrick.org

https://melindapatrick.org/

If this episode encouraged you, consider sharing it with another parent who may be carrying guilt or regret on their parenting journey.

Together, we can learn to walk in truth, extend grace to ourselves, and trust God with the parts of the story that remain unfinished.

Remember:

God has entrusted this journey and your child to you. He will equip you for each next step.

As Christian parents, we often focus on our child's choices, behaviors, and circumstances. But what if some of our strongest emotional reactions are actually being shaped by our own beliefs that we haven't fully recognized?

In this episode, Melinda explores the hidden beliefs that quietly influence how we parent our children—especially when we're navigating difficult situations involving faith, identity, relationships, or life choices we didn't expect.

Many parents carry beliefs such as:

• "If my child is struggling, I must have failed."
• "It's my responsibility to fix this."
• "If I pray harder or say the right thing, I can change the outcome."
• "A good parent wouldn't be in this situation."

While these beliefs often come from a place of love, they can also create fear, guilt, anxiety, and an overwhelming sense of responsibility.

Join Melinda as she helps you identify what may be driving your parenting responses beneath the surface and discover how awareness can become the first step toward greater wisdom, peace, and freedom.

In This Episode

• Why our beliefs often influence our parenting more than we realize
• Common hidden beliefs Christian parents carry
• The difference between responsibility and control
• How fear can become an unintended parenting strategy
• Why identifying unhealthy beliefs is essential for walking wisely
• A simple reflection exercise to help uncover what's operating beneath the surface

Reflection Questions

Take a few moments to prayerfully consider:

• What is your greatest concern about your adult child right now?
• What belief might be underneath that concern?
• Are you carrying responsibility for something that belongs to your child?
• Are you carrying responsibility for something that belongs to God?
• What would change if you released that burden?

Scripture for Reflection

Proverbs 3:5–6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

Key Takeaway

Many parents are carrying burdens they were never meant to carry. Wisdom begins when we honestly examine the beliefs shaping our thoughts, emotions, and decisions and allow God to replace fear-driven beliefs with truth.

Connect with Melinda

Melinda@melindapatrick.org

https://melindapatrick.org/

If this episode encouraged you, share it with another parent who may need hope and perspective on their journey.

You don't have to navigate this season alone.

Remember:

God has entrusted this journey and your child to you. As you engage with Him, He will equip you for each next step.

Many parents walking the difficult journey with an LGBT-identified child feel burdened by guilt, shame, regret, confusion, or fear. Some are estranged from their children. Others are trying to navigate relationships filled with tension and uncertainty.

Most people focus on symptoms while ignoring the deeper issues beneath them.

Whether it's same-sex attraction, family conflict, shame, anger, addiction, or relational brokenness, lasting change cannot happen if root causes remain untouched.

As Justin explains, cutting weeds isn't enough. If the root remains, the problem continues to grow back.

In this powerful TBBU episode, Justin Greenfield brings both personal experience and ministry insight to this conversation.

Having walked his own healing journey, Justin offers compassionate guidance to parents and individuals alike. He emphasizes the importance of identifying lies, wounds, unhealthy attachments, shame, and other root issues that often influence behavior.

Melinda joins the conversation as a parent who understands the pain and complexity of this journey and encourages parents to pursue their own healing alongside their children.

Justin offers three key encouragements for parents:

1. Accept God's Grace 2. Give Your Child to God 3. Pursue Your Own Healing Journey

The healing journey isn't only for your child. God is inviting parents into deeper intimacy, freedom, and restoration as well. As parents heal, they become a source of hope and strength for others walking similar paths.

The Call to Action

Ask God to reveal the root issues beneath the surface.

Rather than focusing solely on changing behavior, invite Him to uncover:

• Unhealed wounds
• False beliefs
• Shame
• Unforgiveness
• Fear
• Family patterns
• Areas needing deeper surrender

Then seek wise, trusted people who can help you walk through the healing process with biblical truth and practical wisdom.

When individuals and families embrace God's healing process:

• Shame loses its power.
• Relationships can be restored.
• Parents become healthier and stronger.
• Children encounter a different family dynamic.
• The church becomes equipped to minister with both truth and grace.
• Freedom and transformation become possible.

Resources Mentioned

• Justin Greenfield's Christian Post op-ed
• Connect with Justin Greenfield
• Restored Hope Network
• Gretchen Stockman's TBBU Episode
• Melinda Patrick's book: The Daring Rescue
• Melinda Patrick Ministries

Justin Greenfield is joining Melinda Patrick on The Bridge Between Us Podcast.

In Part One, Justin shares a portion of his testimony.

If you would like to understand the root issues of homosexuality, hear a few testimonies of those who now live a life beyond homosexuality through Christ and wisdom, or connect with healthy resources that address homosexuality check out http://godloveshomosexuals.com/ If you're seeking spiritual direction, ministry consultation, would like to discuss a speaking engagement with Justin Greenfield, or would like to hear more about and support his ministry work go to http://greenfieldministries.com/ Also, here are a couple to the study led by Vanderbilt University researchers on the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) of homosexual individuals which Justin mentioned on the podcast: Synopsis from Vanderbilt https://www.vumc.org/health-policy/LGBTQ-mental-health-adverse-childhood-experiences-research Full Article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2789482 (Note that the synopsis does not include the ACE that I mentioned on the show - incarcerated household member. It is only in the full article.)

June can feel especially heavy for Christian parents navigating the complexities of loving a child who identifies as LGBTQ while also holding to biblical convictions.

In this episode, Melinda Patrick offers compassionate encouragement for parents who feel caught between truth and relationship, conviction and compassion, grief and hope.

This conversation is not about fear, outrage, or culture wars. It is about staying anchored in Jesus — emotionally, spiritually, and relationally — while walking a difficult parenting journey with humility, wisdom, and faithfulness.

Melinda reminds parents that culture should never disciple our emotions more than Christ disciples our hearts.

You will learn 7 ways to stay anchored:

• Don't panic.
• Stay in prayer instead of control.
• Keep relationship where possible.
• Stay rooted in Scripture.
• Watch your tone.
• Allow yourself to grieve honestly.
• Remember God loves your child more than you can imagine.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Piercing the Night by Lindsey Kiser
• Charles Spurgeon
• Dutch Sheets
• Still Faithful mini-series
• Episode 117 of The Bridge Between Us

Encouragement for Parents

As Pride Month unfolds:

• stay close to Jesus
• stay rooted in Scripture
• stay humble
• stay faithful

The Gospel is still powerful. The Holy Spirit still moves. And Jesus is still drawing people to Himself.

You are not alone in this journey.

Keep abiding. Keep trusting. Keep re-presenting Jesus.

Resources & Next Steps

• Listen to previous testimonies on The Bridge Between Us
• Begin the Still Faithful mini-series starting with Episode 117
• Subscribe to Melinda's newsletter for ongoing encouragement and equipping
• Stay tuned for the upcoming mini-series: Walking Wisely, beginning July 1
• Restored Hope Network annual HOPE conference - June 12-13 - Colorado Springs, CO

After months of walking through grief, surrender, shame, boundaries, courage, renewal, and unresolved pain, we come to one final question in the Still Faithful series:

Can new life still come from this?

In this closing episode, we talk about hope — not the kind that demands immediate answers or guaranteed outcomes, but the kind that trusts God is still present and still capable of bringing life, even in difficult and unfinished stories.

This conversation is for the parent who feels weary, uncertain, or afraid to hope again. It is a reminder that redemption does not erase pain, and that God often brings restoration in quieter and deeper ways than we expect.

As this series comes to a close, we also begin looking ahead toward what it means to walk wisely through ongoing relationships, emotions, and decisions with greater steadiness and discernment.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why painful parenting seasons can make hope feel fragile • God's pattern of bringing life from places that feel barren • Why redemption does not minimize or erase grief • What "new life" may actually look like in unresolved stories • Learning to entrust both wounds and hope to God • How healing often begins in the parent, not just the circumstances • Transitioning from survival into wisdom and grounded living

Reflection Questions

• Where do I long to believe that new life is possible? • What might resurrection look like in my story — even in small ways? • What am I willing to entrust to God again?

A Gentle Reminder

Healing is not only about what happens around us.

Sometimes healing begins in how we stand:

Steadier. Softer. Wiser. More grounded in God.

Looking Ahead

In the upcoming Walking Wisely series, we'll begin exploring:

• How to discern God's voice when emotions are loud • How fear and guilt shape parenting decisions • Emotional steadiness in difficult relationships • Grounded, faith-filled decision-making • Learning to move forward wisely in unresolved situations

Because faithfulness is not only about surviving hard seasons.

It is also about learning how to live wisely inside them.

Support

If you're realizing you want help living this out in real life — not just listening to it — coaching is available to support you as you discern your next faithful steps with greater clarity, steadiness, and wisdom.

You can learn more at www.melindapatrick.org

For more information on Restored Hope Network's HOPE 2026 Conference: HOPE

Mother's Day can be beautiful — but for many mothers walking difficult parenting journeys, it can also feel deeply tender.

While others are celebrating, many moms are quietly carrying grief, estrangement, worry, disappointment, exhaustion, or unanswered prayers connected to their children.

In this special Mother's Day episode of the Still Faithful series, we talk honestly about the emotional weight many mothers carry and the hope God offers in the middle of unfinished stories.

This conversation is a gentle reminder that painful seasons do not make you a failure — and that your motherhood is not defined only by what is hard.

If this day feels complicated for you, you are not alone.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Mother's Day can stir grief and emotional pain • The invisible weight many mothers quietly carry • A different kind of hope for unresolved stories • Gentle reminders for mothers who feel weary or discouraged • Why your child's choices are not the full measure of your motherhood • God's care for the mother who has been carrying so much

Reflection Questions

• Where have I been carrying more than I was meant to carry alone? • What would compassion toward myself look like today? • What has God sustained me through that I haven't stopped to acknowledge? • Where might God be inviting me to receive His care again?

A Gentle Reminder

You are allowed to grieve what is hard. You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to experience joy.

And your child's story is not the full measure of your motherhood.

Connect with Melinda: melinda@melindapatrick.org

Related previous episodes:

Gretchen Stockman: Help For The Parent Who Is Estranged

Episode 27: Hope and Encouragement For All Moms

For more information on the HOPE 2026 Restored Hope Network Conference: HOPE 2026

After walking through pain, courage, renewal, and joy, many parents find themselves asking a new question:

What does faith look like now?

Not before the hardship. Not once everything is resolved. But here — in the middle of an unfinished story.

In this episode of the Still Faithful series, we explore what it means to live out your faith in real, daily ways when life still feels uncertain. This conversation reframes faith as something active and present — not something we pause until circumstances improve.

If you've been waiting for clarity before moving forward, this episode will gently remind you that faith is not about waiting for resolution, but about how you live and walk with God in the in-between.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why faith is not just waiting, but a way of living • What it means to walk with God in the middle of uncertainty • How faith matures in the in-between, not after resolution • The difference between faith that deepens and faith that hardens • What everyday, lived-out faith can look like in this season

Reflection Questions:

• How has my faith changed through this season? • What practices help me stay anchored now? • What kind of believer am I becoming?

A gentle reminder:

Faith is not something you pause until life improves. It is something you live inside the uncertainty.

Support:

For many parents, this is the point where something begins to shift. You may find yourself wanting to move from simply understanding these truths to actually living them out with clarity and consistency.

Coaching offers a space to process what God is doing in your life, discern your next faithful steps, and stay grounded as you continue forward.

You can learn more at www.melindapatrick.org

Connect with Melinda: melinda@melindapatrick.org

For more information on Hope 2026 at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs: www.restoredhopenetwork.org