by Kelly Pelton (written 06 Oct 2020)

What's needed for gender reconciliation
is for women and men
to be able to articulate to themselves 
what happened to them.

The wounds they suffered from the opposite sex
while still small and helpless
can be subtle omissions, emotionally complex,
hard to pin down, unless

a vocabulary of healing is provided:
words, phrases, concepts
to prayerfully consider. Internal dialogue
precisely expressed

gives God material to challenge our thinking
and illuminate
the faulty perceptions and painful conclusions
we secretly hate.

Our early life decisions become prisons
until we give the key
to Him who tenderly opens that narrow gate
to set us free.