In a deeply personal account of her family’s challenges, Tracy Shannon opens up about the painful journey her family endured as her husband transitioned to become a woman.
With unwavering faith and conviction, Shannon navigated the stormy waters of her family’s upheaval, shining a light on the biblical truths that guided her through the darkest times.
Shannon’s journey began with the discovery of her husband’s “cross-dressing” tendencies shortly after the birth of their first child.
“There were some rather disturbing things that did happen in those years,” Shannon says.
As she grappled with her husband’s evolving behavior, she found herself facing disturbing incidents, including his use of her lingerie and other alarming behaviors.
“There were some incidents of cross-dressing in the marriage that would come up. It didn’t seem extremely out of control. We would go to counseling, and he’d say he’d never do it again. So, I believed him several times,” Shannon explained.
Despite seeking counseling and receiving assurances of change, Shannon’s family soon faced a greater challenge when her husband embarked on a medical transition after connecting with someone online.
Amid the upheaval, Shannon’s pain was twofold. She not only mourned the loss of her husband, but her children also had to process the transformation of their father.
Believing that gender is unchangeably defined by God and that transgender ideology contradicts His design, Shannon witnessed firsthand the destructive impact of this belief on her family unit.
“I think that gender [ideology] is a lie. I don’t think that anybody can ever accomplish the goal of completely becoming the opposite sex. I believe it’s fraudulent therapy and fraudulent medicine. And it creates a lot of problems, not just the destruction of a family, which is serious enough. [But also] the erasure of fathers,” Shannon said.
Shannon passionately conveys her conviction that such ideologies erode the fabric of families, prioritizing individual fulfillment over commitments and roles ordained by God. Addressing the gender ideology’s destructive influence, she emphasizes the need for a return to biblical values that uphold the sanctity of marriage and family.
“There’s this idea that runs through our society with this in other areas that adult fulfillment is more important than the family, more important than the marriage, more important than commitment. And that is why it’s harming families,” Shannon adds.
“I did worry about setting him off because I did know about some instances of cross-dressing throughout the marriage,” she said “So I would change how I dressed. I wouldn’t dress as feminine… Even all the way down to my lingerie or underwear and bras, I would just wear the basics because even though I might like to wear something prettier—that made me feel pretty good—but I wouldn’t because if I had those things in my closet, then perhaps it might trigger him to cross-dress.
“So that did affect me in that he had this other woman that he was creating for himself and enjoying by himself that felt like an affair,” she continued. “It affected me in the same way that you would imagine a woman whose husband is cheating.”
Amid the tumultuous journey, Shannon held fast to her faith, relying on the wisdom of the Bible to guide her steps. Shannon’s reliance on God’s promises, her trust that He would protect her children and her eventual restoration through remarriage and a growing family illustrate the resilience that comes from unwavering faith.
“I prayed for them [her children],” she said. “They went through some horrible stuff… and I couldn’t protect them from everything. So, I had to trust that God who loves them was going to work things out. And He did. And He protected them from so much. And you’d never know that they have been through so much that they’ve been through.
“It was just very devastating time for me. But I trusted in the Lord that He would restore everything,” Shannon reveals.
Shannon’s story, one of heartbreak, resilience and redemption, serves as a testament to the power of faith in the face of adversity.
In the midst of family struggles, she found strength in the Word of God, relying on His promises to guide her through life’s struggles. Her struggles stand as a beacon of hope for others facing turmoil, reminding them that God’s love and restoration can prevail even in the darkest moments of life’s journey.
In the end, God restored that which the enemy had tried to take away.
“I ended up remarrying and being home again with my children and had another baby,” Shannon concluded.
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James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.
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