Easyreader: not to hijack the thread, but how did your wife react to the announcement about the amalgamating of the book study, thus reducing meeting attendance times? That should have been a huge tip off to her that many of the brothers just can't keep up the regimen. Why not take that tack with her? Tell her you may not have been vocal about it, but you too felt the stress of having so many meetings and are so glad the Gibbering Buddy has taken note of your exhaustion and 'lessened the burden'. You have to say this in all sincerity, of course! Then stick to your guns on the odd meeting night, and say you will not be COERCED. You need to take care of your physical well being, as well as the spiritual and only you are in a position to judge when your body needs rest from the hectic 24/7 pace of today's world. Tell her meetings need to be weekday mornings, if they are that important, not at the end of the day, when normal people are TIRED OUT from a day of work. Jesus load is light! yada yada
Your wife does actually sound rabid about meeting attendance, by your description. I don't envy your position, but I think you could change it ever so slowly and tactfully....just my 2 cents...