Blake Howard shared his journey of wanting to pursue Jesus more than any man around him.
His Story
Blake Howard first struggled with homosexuality when he was very young. He grew up in a Christian home and desperately wanted his father’s love, but his father never had time for them because he was always working. Blake instead talked to the one person who was always there for him: his mom.
“I then began to kind of see myself taking on kind of like a female role,” he said.
Blake’s interest in girls made it hard for him to get along with his father, even when they did spend time together. He felt bad about himself because of this. Then, when Blake was seven years old, he had a homosexual encounter with a friend. He knew that neither his parents nor God would agree, but it still made no sense to him.
“That kind of led me into, as I grew up into a teenager, just turning away from God because I was like, ‘Well I’m not enough for Him,” he said.
Pursue Jesus More
Getting ready for high school, Blake’s friends often picked on him and called him gay because of the things he liked and how he dressed. Even though Blake did like boys, he denied it. Then, as a senior, he got a part as a woman in a school play. People liked what he did. The instant validation made him feel like he was enough, accepted, and that he belonged.
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Blake changed his identity to Velma and started attending more drag events as Velma. He went to gay bars when he wasn’t old enough and began drinking and using drugs while engaging in gay relationships. However, at some point, the excessive partying started to take its toll on him.
He overdosed on cocaine, which frightened him. As a result, Blake wanted to at least make amends with God.
Although he had no intention of giving up his homosexual lifestyle, Blake was accepted to a Christian college in Alabama when he was 19 years old.
Wholeness
Then, after attending a prayer service on campus one night, he had a very significant experience.
Blake spent a lot of time studying the Bible. He gave up drugs and alcohol, but he was determined to continue as Velma, the drag queen, and maintain a secret homosexual life.
This made him desire change even more as he read the Bible and prayed to God.
“One day, I was in prayer and the Lord just spoke to me. And He said, ‘It is not a gay to straight transition. It’s from broken to whole transition.’ I was finishing up my makeup and I remember looking in the mirror and thinking, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore. This is not who I am.’ I began to feel less and less connected to Velma. And less and less connected to the LGBTQ,” he recalled.
“I Want To Pursue Jesus More Than I Want A Man”
Blake added, “I’m not going to participate in those things because I want to pursue Jesus more than I want a man. I began to feel this happiness. This joy because He genuinely cares and loves me.”
He allowed some Christian leaders to help him stay on track. Additionally, he met a Christian woman in college who also struggled with attraction to people of the same gender. They got to know each other well and eventually fell in love. After many years, they got married and are now starting a family. Blake is now a minister, and he talks about how Jesus Christ made him whole.
“The Lord moved in such a way that restored my relationship with my dad. I was looking for a man to fill that void in my heart and I finally found one. [He] completely gave me everything I need and his name is Jesus,” he concluded.
Reference: The 700 Club
Header image: Blake testifying [The 700 Club]. YouTube, 22 September 2023, https://youtu.be/fHs69XIMN_s
