- I miss my friend .......
About 3 years ago, my very best friend 'in the troof' slowly started to fade. She made excuses - she and her husband were too busy running their small business, the baby was sick, the kids had something going on at school, etc... After a while she just stopped. I thought it was her sometimes-opposing husband. We both lived out in the country, 20 mi. from the KH, but only 1/4 mi. from each other. We use to go out door-to-door together - we were a great team! We used to talk on the phone almost every day, and always rode to the meetings together - it was wonderful to have a girlfriend that I could talk so openly to about everything under the sun! She was loud, opinionated and brassy, and I was shy and unassuming but always ready to laugh at her goofiness. Our opposite personalities worked to benefit the other's, and our minds clicked together like cogs on the same gear - I loved her like a blood sister. I tried and tried to get her to talk to me about what was going on, 'cause obviously something was... but she'd laugh it off, change the subject and never answered my direct questions. Pretty soon, she was cutting our phone conversations short, not returning my calls, and ...avoiding me... So I let it be for a while, thinking, "Did I say something to hurt her feelings?.... She just must need some space." My Mom died during that time, and she did come to my house and cried with me and gave me a much needed friend's shoulder - but it was a short visit, and her last. Shortly thereafter came a warning call from the PO that she had dissassociated herself... and was studying Islam in preparation of becoming Muslim!!! You could've knocked me over with a feather! I was to shun her, of course --- but she was already shunning me, and finally I knew why! A few months later, her daughter, who was working at a local store, told me they were moving out of state. Without hesistation, I said, "Tell your mom I'll be calling her." She told me how relieved she was to hear that, since her mom had missed me so much, loved me, and felt so badly about not talking honestly to me about the events happening in her life.
So she came to my house and we finally got to hug, cry, and talk openly about things. The whole time she was begging off going to the meetings, she and her husband were studying Islam with a Muslim couple. This is what I've gathered from our few conversations about it - they now believe it is the oldest(?), historically researchable, 'only true religion'. The say prayers to 'the one true God' 'Allah' several times a day, and worship at a mosque. They believe that Jesus was a prophet(not the Son of God - in my understanding because it is blasphemous to assign to God the act of procreation(?)) as well as Mohammed and others. And they are very sincere. So my natural question to her - "If you truly believe that Islam is 'true', then why didn't you tell me, your best friend? If it's so great - why didn't you feel obligated to enlighten me, too? If you believe it's the path to salvation, why keep it hidden from me, whom you love?" Her answer: "I knew how much you loved Jehovah, and I didn't want to hurt that relationship between you and your God." Well, that wasn't a very good answer, 'cause I vividly remember a time when she loved Jehovah very much, too. Years later I'm still trying to figure it out...
Is she not a true apostate, in terms of Christianity, because Islam rejects the ransome sacrifice of our Saviour, Christ Jesus? And in her religion, Christians are 'infidels' and enemies of Allah. I feel guilty - for still loving her....she was and is very dear to my heart, as only best friends can be. We are still in touch with each other via email, but not regularly, and we don't talk about religion. Except I have told her about the big WTBTS quandry I've recently found myself in.... But I still feel that she really has turned her back on Jehovah.
My hope is that one day soon Jehovah will put it all in perspective - and all will know the elusive truth of the matter. I've got this scenario in my head: Jehovah reveals His true self to the entire world... He has the attention of every person, from all religious backgrounds, from every nation on Earth. He states,"This is the way I want it to be." Everyone scratches their heads (I reckon everyone will have misconceptions about something) - "Oh, that's the way it is? ...Wow, I was really wrong then, wasn't I?" Then a loud roar of aggreement heard the world over - "If that's the way You want it, Father, then that's the way we want it, too!" Everyone who truly has a heart filled with love for our Heavenly Father will choose His surpassing way.........those who don't want it... well....won't get the benefits. ------------ Pollyanna-istic? Maybe......
In Christ's Love, peacebaby
Lots of people lost their electricity - which is the bad thing. Everybody with a snowmobile was out helping neighbors. It took 4 days to dig the roads out with front-end loaders and dump trucks! Don't really need to see that again! .....But then our summers are typically hot and humid. So name your poison! 
It's cold here now - 15[f] for the high - 3 tonite. The whole northern half of the US, too. I agree with all the old farts(sorry!)- bundle-up! Layers! Extra socks & long underwear! A big fuzzy hat! I'm fartin' dust myself, and really get it in the neck, back and shoulders to shovel. But I do it when it needs done, like around the mail box after the snow plow goes thru. A couple of years ago I permanently damaged my elbow by shoveling a path to the wood pile - like tennis elbow but not as much fun. So I'm not as enthusiastic as I once was, and I listen better to my body parts when they scream,"Stop!" And I take it slower - shuffling along like all wise ol' farts should learn to do! 