This afternoon I got a letter stating that I was accepted to accompany a WW 2 veteran on a flight to Washington DC to visit the WW2 memorial in September.
I also was called to check up on the health of several horses that some friends of my wife adopted, they are very underweight Belgians, and these
new owners want to make sure that they are taken care of. ( I am a registered volunteer humane investigator with the state of Illinois)
I also took the day off work as a vacation day to have my dog visit, and do physical therapy at the hospital (we do this also as volunteers,,, well my dog does all the work. She is an Australian Shepard they always needs a job to do )
She played catch for two hours with several people who were either elderly, or who had a stroke.
I feel that this is something that is very, worthwhile, and sometimes very emotional , esp. when a stroke victim who is depressed actually
smiles at me and makes a real effort to throw the tennis ball for May. It was a heck of a lot of effort actually getting her to become a certified dog here in Illinois. certifications, vet. exams, shots,,,, I actually had to be interviewed, get a background check, and several medical tests.
Today she worked with 4 people, and everyone of them wholeheartedly enjoyed their sessions.
On the way home I went past my old kingdom hall, and the service groups were finishing up their afternoon going door to door.
It struck me how different my life has become, I am doing things that 2 - 3 years ago I would never have even considered doing, and how much more challenging, and meaningful life has become to me.
I can HELP people in actual helpful ways without having to mindlessly push the beliefs and doctrines of the wtbts at every available chance on them.
And yet going by, I saw many of the same people I have known for 20 to 30 years getting out of their cars with a degraded, worn down look on their faces after being in service ( it also may have been partially from the heat).
Have any of you had an experience like this ,,, a time when the "broken" pieces of your once jw life come together to reflect a new improved version of yourself that suddenly might have really surprise you ?