(ZENIT News / Tørboda, Sweden, 11.07.2024).- On a sunny afternoon in Tørboda, Sweden, Tove (79) and Bjørn (75) shared their moving story of spiritual and personal transformation with the Korsets Seier magazine. This Norwegian married couple, who have been together for 36 years, has lived a metamorphosis that, according to them, can only be attributed to a divine force. “We did not intend to convert or to seek God to be liberated from homosexuality. It happened simply in a natural way, thanks to the new life we received,” they stress.
Tove’s and Bjørn’s journey to a new identity began when they embraced the Christian faith. “We became completely new creatures. The old disappeared and everything became new,” they say with conviction. Fore them, this transformation was not the result of human therapies or methods, but a profound interior change, driven by their relationship with God.
Struggle and Testimony
In the 1990s, the couple involved themselves intensely in the opposition to the Law of Domestic Partnerships in Norway. Despite facing considerable opposition, their objective was not to judge, but to be witnesses of what they had experienced. “We are not called to be judges, but witnesses. We can only tell our experience and hope that it brings hope and faith to those that struggle,” they affirm.
After 20 years in an orphanage, Bjørn found himself in Oslo’s gay community in search of company. Although he found a social circle, he never found real happiness. In 1972, after an overdose that almost cost him his life, Bjørn found consolation in the Gospel, and decided to become a Christian. That moment marked the beginning of his transformation.
Tove, on the other hand, struggled with depression and drug abuse after her father’s death. After years of suffering in psychiatric institutions, she found refuge and hope in a Christian rehabilitation center. “God made me a new creature and gave me a new mind,” says Tove.
An Unexpected Love: An Open Home
The love story between Tove and Bjørn is both amazing and inspiring. After years of friendship and spiritual growth, Bjørn realized that he was ready to get married. “My love for Tove had grown and she became the most important for me,” says Bjørn. They married in 1987 and, since then, they have shared a life full of purpose and faith.
During their 36 years together,Tove and Bjørn have kept their home open for those in need of support and guidance. They have lived in different places following what they consider God’s direction to help others. “From a human perspective, it’s impossible to understand what has happened to us. Many might think that it’s an achievement of ours, but that is totally mistaken. Only a supernatural force of God was able to liberate us completely,” concludes Tove.
The Refstad’s story is not only a testimony of faith and redemption, but also a call to understanding and mutual respect. Those that struggle to be understood and accepted must also offer that generosity to others,” says Tove. With their experience, they hope to inspire others and show that transformation is possible, not through human methods, but through a profound connection with the divine.
