What I would like to hear from you is, what opened your eyes? What drew you to your husband, and what broke your emotional tie to "the truth"?
Okay Severus, straight to the point - I like that a lot! I'm pretty straight shootin' myself......
Your questions for me are very complex and complicated. It definitly wasn't one thing that changed me. It was the crappy life I had growing up, it was the "religious high" that faded and I couldn't get back again, it was some wisdom with age, it was me being unwilling and unable to live a lie, and it came down to ITIS laying the cards on the table and making me "decide".
I am a very independent and free thinking person, yet I needed approval by someone because I didn't get it growing up. The elders gave me that for awhile when I was a golden child in the truth. That faded quickly when I wasn't able to do so much in "the truth". I saw it, but didn't want to admit it. In fact, ITIS handled me the best way possible. He left clues and I did my own research. If your wife is a researcher and a fact finder like me, simply ask her to HELP YOU understand certain prophecies, or something like that. A word of caution though, you need to do your own homework too! Don't ask about 607 stuff if you don't know your answers, that would have pissed me off! ITIS started his own info. gathering and left it laying around. I of course picked it up, and started my own researching. He didn't know this for a long time. For me, it was the B.S. of the 607 prophecy. When I realized that could be wrong then EVERY other one of the WTS/GB crap is wrong! I was shocked, heartbroken, and crushed, but also had a tremendous release. I started thinking - " what if I didn't really have to go to meetings?! what if service was all a bunch of crap?! If this was all a lie then I don't have to feel GUILT of FEAR for not doing those things!" Lightbulb moment for sure, for me. ( I still didn't share any of this with ITIS> wasn't ready to yet. so you never know what your loved ones are looking up!) I felt like I won the lottery of time. Like I all of a sudden was granted more hours in my day for things I've always wanted to do. If she is independent minded she will resent you shoveling info. down her throat about how WRONG the WTS is, especially if she has the emotional connection. Let her find it, in her own way. Patience, my friend!! Thank god, someone was patient with me! Another word of caution - I really resisted ITIS "discoveries" at first because I really thought they were just excuses to not have to do certain things like meetings, service, spend time with me, etc. He had a habit of that pattern in the past, so I figured it was just a way to validate his actions and have a valid excuse now. More "throwing the burden on me."
So.......spend time with you wife, tell her you love her, buy her flowers, tell her you'll be there for her, throw love on her all the time! This will really go far in the long run.
It is such a HUGE deal to walk away from everything. It's probably the scariest thing I've ever done so far in my life. I've had a pretty crappy life, so hard stuff has been the name of the game for me. I have learned the lesson though, that some of the greatest challenges and most painful moments in my life have brought me the most clarity down the road. I have faith in that. I can help you with any 607 prophecy stuff you need. I know more about Neo-Babylonian kings and there rules than I ever thought I would! Like some others, I did all my initial research in the WT publications so as not to "cloud my mind with apostate ideas." So if your wife will respond better to the bible and just WT stuff then I can help you tremendously!
I will try to get more indepth as to my path of finding my way out of this in the future. Right now I have some sick kids to get better! Feel free to PM me anytime.
best to you, Freedomlover
