It's amazing that many Witness families get by as well as they do, considering all the burdens they're carrying.
Yes, I was one of those who grew up in a piss-poor household and did without many many times. I can remember only having a can of tomato soup to eat . . . for the entire day. God, what terrible times. I don't think anyone was as poor as I was when I was a kid. My aunt-fantical-wine-for-brains-self-righteous-Esther lived only a mile or so away and knew of our starving and did nothing . . . I mean nothing. It was like she enjoyed seeing us go without.
I also remember how there were quite a few elders who must have missed the example in the Bible of w hen Jesus instructed a wealthy ruler to ?sell all his belongings and distribute the money to the poor,? that man was unwilling to do so. He "went off grieved, for he was holding many possessions." Rightly, Jesus warned: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."?Mark 10:21, 22; Matthew 6:21. Some of the elders had really nice diggs and luxury cars.
I grew up and did the JW thing, and that was start my own window cleaning business, LOL. I got so sick of squeegying windows and found my nitch in sales where I began to make really good money. But, I could not even feel good about that because many, including my wife at the time, were pressuring me to quit and go back to the janitorial arts so I could spend more time seeking Kingdom interests. I simply started smoking knowing my hypocritical (now ex) wife would turn my ass in to the elders as a power play, and I got myself df'd. I always got the feeling that any prosperity I created incroached on the consciences of the others in the congregation.
Corvin