xjwsforChrist

Crazy day. More on that in a bit.

Attendance: 32,206
Official Baptism count: 294 (I apparently overcounted...)
We were tied in to several other conventions with a total attendance of a little over 73,000, and the total baptism for all of them was 424. Not very high at all, considering. Way less than 1%

Quote: "Jehovah's people are the only people on the planet to whom sacred secrets have been revealed."
My comments: This is ridiculous. Oh, wait... the JW definition of sacred secrets, well, yeah, sure. But NO ONE ELSE even thinks these ARE sacred secrets. Anyone who reads the Bible can find out the sacred secrets. This comment was just stupid.

Antidote for anxiety, based on Matt 6:
- giving gifts of mercy
- prayer
- forgiving our brothers FREELY
- one definition of "freely" means without charge. We shouldn't be like "I'll forgive you if you say I'm sorry." Jehovah isn't that way, so we shouldn't be. (Ok, wait a sec.. face-palm on this one... anyone ever involved in a judicial committee knows this is complete bullocks. You can be 'forgiven' of your sins conditionally, IF you perform "works that befit repentance". This isn't just bullocks, this is a complete lie.)
- avoiding hypocrisy - don't live a double-life... (Again, bullocks... this org is full of hypocrisy)
- store up treasures in heaven, which means loyally supporting God's kingdom, engaging in sacred service, engaving in KH constrction and generously giving financially) (LQ shakes his head, wife asks "why are you shaking your head" LQ responds, "just... nothing")
- focus on spiritual matters

How does the Devil cause anxiety?
- Pressure from employer or unbaptized mate to miss the convention (Really? That's the best you got?)
- Health crisis that brings up the blood transfusion issue
- Pressure from schoolmates to commit immorality

To show how sly Satan is, quote: "If Satan offered us a billion dollars to give up the truth, we'd say forget it. But for $0.85 more per hour, would we miss meetings?" (This is a stupid comparison. Of course I'd give up the [JW] truth for a billion dollars! LOL! Seriously, though, this is an apples to oranges comparison. Missing meetings is not giving up the [JW] truth.)


Ok, now to the crazy experience I had. I am not telling you this to toot my own horn. What happened afterward is what floored me. My wife volunteered my seat to an elderly sister who couldn't walk far and needed a seat. I usually sit on the end. No problem. I just moved over a seat. Apparently, this sister got a sunburn from two days previously, and needed more shade, which is where we were sitting. Our area was quite full, though, so I had no issue moving over. We struck up conversation and just chit-chatted for a bit until the morning session started. Almost immediately after the program started, I could tell this sister wasn't doing so well. She was in a lot of pain. She started bending over and putting her head on her arm, resting on the bench in front of us (these were metal stadium benches). She was rubbing her stomach. She kept raising her leg up, presumably to ease the pain. I would tell the pain was getting worse, so after talking to her I asked an attendant to see if we could find her a different seat that would help her back. Long and short of it was that none could be found. The attendant went to first aid and first aid came over and talked to her. They recommended that she first get checked out in first aid, but then go back to her hotel and cool down because an hour of being in the heat could cause of week of damage, they said. A brother from her congregation came over, and first aid explained the situation to him. So, I volunteered to help take her back to her hotel. We did. She got into her cool room, and all was good.

To me, this is just something anyone would do, right? See someone in need like that and just jump in and help without hesitation. Well, come to find out, not so. And this is what floored me. When I got back, the people in the row in front of me were casting adulation on me for doing this. These were people I know from my congregation. I said to one of them, a brother, "You would have done the same thing if you were here." He said, without hesitation, "No, I probably wouldn't have." My wife heard me and shook her head and said, "I didn't want anything to do with her."

Now what am I supposed to do with this? I'm still shocked. I couldn't imagine NOT helping! I'm completely floored, and don't even know what to say to anyone about this.

Anyway, that was day 3. End of convention.

I'm not surprised you're surprised, dear LQ (peace to you!). But FYI... while there are occasions when JW folks will help a fellow JW... that really isn't the NORM. At least, not in my experience. I know there are situations. For example those who helped with dear PSacto's father (peace to you, as well, dear brother!). And some help with dear hubby's elderly stepmother. However, the MAJORITY don't help... and many are not helped. I would be more surprised when one stepped out and DID help than I would when one didn't. Which might be why you received the accolades you did (and, GOOD FOR YOU, BTW!! May JAH remember you for YOUR kindness toward the woman!).

True story: once, the elderly PO of the congo I attended needed hip surgery. Somehow, he came out of the hospital worse than when he went in. He couldn't care for himself, so a number of sisters, including me, were asked to help him. And we did, day and night for the week he survived (he was in GREAT health... or so it seemed... prior to!). He was so unable to care for himself - he couldn't sit OR lay down for more than few minutes at a time, poor man. He slept only with pain meds and we had to help him bathe and use the loo. Which is why I believe he ultimately died.

You see, he kept asking us to ask the BROTHERS to come help him... for the sake of his DIGNITY. I cannot tell you how many times that poor man would ask us to ask... and we did... and ask us "Why won't they come, sister? Why won't the BROTHERS please come and help me??"... while apologizing to US ("Please forgive me! You should not have to see me like this!")... when we bathed and cleaned him, and helped him use the toilet. That poor man... his utter dignity went right into the toilet along with his business. And the "dear" brothers... never came. Ever. I am not kidding you. Not ONE stopped by to help this poor man bathe or use the loo and so maintain his dignity.

BUT... they did come by, eventually. When he died. Oh, yes, they came by... to go through his belongings. You see, his wife had preceded him in death... and their only daughter was not a JW... and so he left everything... EVERYTHING... including his house and car... to the congregation... with instructions to sell everything and give a portion to the WTBTS. And so, no sooner than his memorial was over... all KINDS of JWs showed up for the yard sale! I cannot tell you how... amazed, appalled... and ashamed I was when I later saw his bedroom set in the home of a JW coupled who BEGGED OFF from coming to help take care of him!! It wasn't even a full week after his memorial! And they were showing it off (it was very good quality, from the 60's or so, but in impeccable shape)!! The full set: headboard, dresser, chest of drawers... and one of the loveliest dressing tables I've ever seen.

And this is just one of my "where are the brothers/sisters to help this poor brother/sister" stories. Somehow, I always ended up on "nurse" duty, which is kind of amazing when I think of it because I just do NOT have the temperament... or stomach... to work anywhere NEAR a hospital, let alone be a nurse. I was ALWAYS asked, though, whether it was hospital visits, travel to and care after chemo sessions, preparing meals for/visiting shut-ins, what have you. Because I "had a flexible work schedule," they said. Which did. Also because my (ex) husband wasn't an elder/MS and so didn't have "congregational responsibilities". Which the husbands of many other "sisters", some of whom didn't work at all) apparently had.

I didn't get it... but I didn't make an issue of it. I thought I was privileged to BE chosen to help those folks ("Oh, YES, Brother Elder So-and-So, of COURSE, I'll..." do whatever it was they were asking me to do at any given time! Yeah, ya'll can roll your eyes - I was THAT "obedient!" Gag!).

And I really felt bad for those who "couldn't." I truly thought ALL JWs wanted to help the sick and elderly among them. Like I thought all JWs WANTED to do bathroom/kitchen/clean-up duty at assemblies. No kidding. I truly thought they all felt BAD when they "couldn't" help out, that they would do so... WERE doing so... at the NEXT/EVERY opportunity! Took me close to two decades to figure out folks actually WERE begging off, DIDN'T want to help! And that they had no more legit reasons NOT to help than I did.

So, I totally get your surprise. In fact, I must warn you: be ready for ALL that you're going to "see" now. You are going to be amazed at what all you HAVEN'T (allowed yourself to) see(n).

(Whispers) I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you and dear Wife discuss why SHE didn't want to help! LOLOLOL!

Peace!

YSSFS of Christ,

Shellamar

I am no longer surprised at their behavior either. They are supposed to have this 'brotherhood' world wide, and even call each other brother and sister; but they don't really believe it. If it WAS someone's sister or mother, they would not hesitate to help her, would they? They don't get it; don't know how it applies in real life.

I didn't have to discuss it with my wife. She came out and told me. I left some things out of the story because they weren't relevant. But, after your comments, they are.

When I was at the first aid dept. waiting for the brother to get his keys from his wife so they could take us to his car, my wife walked over. She didn't know what had transpired because she left to go walk and alleviate her own back pain. I told her what was happening, and she kissed me on the cheek. Now, if you know what our relationship is like (really, not a good one), this was a incredible. After I got back, she explained, "I got more insight into the sister. Another sister in her cong. told me she was 'done with her' after helping her all weekend. The [elderly] sister has been difficult, and unreasonable." I was puzzled, because the elderly sister was just fine with me. My wife said, "Somehow, you are the only person who knew how to treat her. I just didn't have the patience."

So, there you have it. My wife let someone else's words give her a preconceived idea of what this elderly sister was like, and therefore decided for herself that she didn't want to deal with her. How about that? Seriously unbelievable. And the kiss on the cheek? I NEVER get a kiss from my wife. Ever. The attendant in the area, an older brother himself, apparently noted that I was "charming" the sister and asked my wife if I am that charming with her. She told me this and told me she told him, "No, Brother, we've been married for almost 22 years." When she told me this, I just said to her, "I tried to be, but gave up when you stopped responding to it."

I'm still angry with her. Her attitude is at the very heart of the problems we have with each other. It's all about her and who cares about anybody else.


I forgot a part of the program. There was a talked titled "The Highway of Holiness" and was based on Isa 35:8 where it talks about a highway called The Way of Holiness. I kept waiting for them to talk about Christ (which they did quite a bit throughout the convention). But not one single time in this talk did they mention him as "The Way".

Well thankfully for you LQ that the convention is Over!! It sounds like there was nothing new to learn there or anything but mind numbing garbage.

I am not surprised at all that no one wanted to help the older lady. I have seen this sort of thing many times. My own Mother was treated this way, only at the end when she became confined to a wheelchair they avoided problems by refusing to take her to the Convention because she might need help and distract from the program.

Thank you for sharing LQ and so sorry you are in such a miserable situation.

Sacred Secrets?!..
It`s no secret the WBT$ is run by idiots..LOL!!

Forgiving our brothers freely?!..
If JWs weren`t so judgmental..
They`d spend a lot less time trying to forgive..

How does the Devil cause anxiety?!..
Missing WBT$ Meetings,Blood transfusions and all that sex kids have at school..LOL!!..
Like I said..
It`s no secret the WBT$ is run by idiots..LOL!!

It`s another day wasted of your life, you`ll never get back..
Times seven million JW`s..
It`s threads like this that make me grateful to be free of the WBT$
........................................http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab11 ... y-ani1.gif ...OUTLAW

_________________

Thankfully, Leaving, that older woman made her way to sitting next to you!


Peace to you.

Good morning EVERYONE and peace to you all...

LQ, I am actually glad the experience you had allowed you to " see" all the hypocrisy and hate this organization truly IS! As far as you helping the older sister, That was truly a loving and kind gesture and YES this is what those who profess TO HAVE and BE Love should have done.
But what you were able to do is exactly what our Lord had in mind in Matthew 25 as to " doing good to the least of his brothers"... NOT what the WTBS defines it as.

Im surprised they didn't make you take someone along with you to take the sister back as you were " alone" with her...LOLOL!!! Of course they wouldn't, it would have been an inconvenience as NOONE wanted to do anything anyways. So it was okay this time LOL....


Shelby, your story made me so sad and sick to my stomach as to the treatment the congregation allowed for this poor brother in need. They should have out of respect for his dignity used the brothers in the area of bathing and personal hygiene and then the sisters for everything else.

LQ, Thank you for sharing your three day experience from hell LOL. And I am truly sorry about the situation with your wife. But it seems apparent that "change" might even come a little easier than expected based on what you are now seeing by means our Lord.

Enjoy your week, love and peace to you all, your sister and fellow slave of Christ, Kim

I should clarify... I didn't take her back alone. The brother in her congregation and I did it. She rode from the hotel to the stadium with his family, so I went with him. He didn't need me and would have done it alone, but I asked him if he would like me to come along to assist and he said yes. He was a pretty nice brother. But he HAD to help because she rode with his family. I would have done it myself if he couldn't/wouldn't.

Thanks for that, I was wondering. I know you and I don't care, but THEY always make a big deal out of these things. Thanks for the clarification LQ,
Peace Kim