by JH 9 Replies latest jw friends
We all know brothers and sisters, who never miss a meeting. Even if there is a snow storm, or any good reason to miss, they will always be there. Every Saturday in the field service, and always saying yes to the elders.
Did these people fall on your nerves, because they were so devout?
I'd like to think these "faithful" ones are just sincere lovers of God. But I suspect many of them are very insecure, fear filled people who need the comfort of sameness and order in their lives. They are institutionalized, not unlike criminals who fear being on the "outside" and commit petty crimes to stay incarcerated. The GB prey on these types and reward them the same way they reward everyone else. With a threat, " Stay close and submit and keep working or we will forget all you have done for us and cast you out with nothing!" This terrifies these insecure ones and they keep their heads down at ALL cost. And it ends up costing them a lot! Pity them, it is more that they will get from the GB! Yours, Maverick
I was at every meeting, went out in service every Sat. and Sunday. It was expected of me so I did it. Some times I had to work on Saturdays and I didn't mind missing service at all, in fact I looked forward to working and missing service. Now I wonder how faithful I was, I think it was just a habit and I was trying to please the congregation and family.
Ken P.
They never really got on my nerves until it started affecting me and my family adversely. It would be nice if they could see that taking care of important personal things are actually MORE important than attending bloody meetings. Unfortunately my mother has never understood that. She doesn't realize the harm she is causing, so it is certainly a "get on your nerves" thing rather than a "hate thing.
Brad
Did they get on my nerves?..No..Most everybody I knew,and spent my time with in the KH was like that...OUTLAW
The ones who really got on my nerves were the ones who were so "faithful" that they came to meeting SICK, sneezing and coughing all over everyone because they were too "zealous" to miss a meeting.
STAY at home; don't give us what you have!
I do know that when I quit pioneering, which I did enjoy, I did not miss it at all; toward the end, I looked forward to my work days more than my service days.
Now I know why; my subconscious was smarter than my conscious self, and was already drawing away.
LOL! Pistoff..Nobody liked seeing those dumb-ass`s who didn`t know when to stay home,when they were sick..This place brings back so many memories...OUTLAW
Some of the ones I knew that were like that were sincere. Others, simply used the JW's as a crutch. I knew many of these. It became their reason to exist. To be the first one there, to ready the cassettes of what songs we'd be singing...to be the "greeter". I also knew of ones that were doing it to salve their consciences because they were such hypocrites that they felt their ultra piety could somehow absolve them in God's eyes for what they really were.
Coon
I wonder if they were always there to visit the baptized sick ones at the hospital or at home to help during recovery, were they always there to clean the house and do the laundry of an elderly witness, were they there to provide a safe haven for a siser whose husband was beating her and the kids, were they always there to go down to the morgue to help a brother identify his wife and kids killed in a car accident, were they there to go with a brother who was arrested for going into an apartment building marked no trespassing (for the druggies), were they there to invite the new ones, single parent families, divided households to go to an amusement park, camping or to their house for a meal. Were they always there for those things?
Blondie
Matthew 6 (AMP) 1 TAKE CARE not to do your good deeds publicly or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward [reserved for and awaiting you] with and from your Father Who is in heaven.
2 Thus, whenever you give to the poor, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites in the synagogues and in the streets like to do, that they may be recognized and honored and praised by men. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already.
3 But when you give to charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 So that your deeds of charity may be in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly.
I think it was just a habit
For me , it had become a habit. I was so busy preparing items and doing congo business and paperwork, that I had no time to consider why i was doing it . When I did stop to consider why, I started to realise gaps that did not quite add up, and it scared me , so I stopped thinking
I never was quite the perfect witness though. I tried to keep a bit of balance . I feel sorry for the children of these perfect families . How can they live up to their parents expectations ? I can think of one such family , the son was a sensitive rather awkward youth who never seemed to relax. Now seven years on I heard he had left home and the "Truth", goes to show, doesn't it?
