My Epiphany

geevee

Sorry, I hope this doesn't sound full of Sh#t, but I just had this thought rush.

The life of Joseph [as in the bible, not Rutherford].

He said things that his family didn't understand and didn't like. His brothers hated him, in fact so much that they bashed him and told their father he was dead. The sold him.

Joseph must have wondered why. I tell them things for their own good, yet they hate me. Why did they caste me out into the world? What is God's plan for me? Why am I here and not with my friends and family?

Then while in the world, as a slave, no contact with his family he makes his way. He is cut off from everything that was familiar. But he ends up, after some terrible things happening to him making good. Infact second in charge of the land. He learns to understands the world and benefits from it. Still, he must wonder why, what does God have in store for me?

Jump a few years into the future........

Famine hits God's chosen people. What will they do? Where will they go? How will the eat? What will they eat?

Jacob sends his sons out into the "world" to find food and where do they end up?

My epiphany: Are we like Joseph? [sorry if this sounds watchtowerish] I truly felt like God showed me that there is another way. What is happening among and in the world of JW's isn't right. We all know that it isn't the "truth", and we may not be able to figure out what the heck we are supposed to be doing. I just seem to be living life, making our way in the world [perhaps that is it] but is there a greater purpose as to why we chose to be out [yes in the world] at this time? Will there come a time when our families will be "starving" and need to find us and benefit from us, from the lives that we carve out for ourselves from this point forward?

Narkissos

This is no rubbish at all. It's the quality of great stories (and the Joseph "novella" is one of them) to make sense from many a reader's perspective.

It's a very common pattern actually. The beneficial comeback of the misunderstood and rejected. The despised stone becoming the chief cornerstone. Paradoxically justifying the exclusion as well as the excluded a posteriori ("Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good," 50:20).

Bubbles of meaning ascending and bursting from the muddy waters of life; forms in the clouds which we provisionally read as signs until they change into another form, another sign for someone else. There is no ultimate meaning because the story never ends; but there are provisional, relative, subjective meanings which we can "get" and let go along the way. No problem with that as long as we accept to "let go" as well.

jwfacts

[sorry if this sounds watchtowerish] lol you would make Freddy Franz proud, he could find a parallel in anything.

Your concept is very apt, I expect to be able to do the same with my family, in fact already am 'feeding' friends and family members. Unfortunately not every person is appreciated in their own life time. The good that we do now may have an effect that we never become aware of. Thats why i think it is important to do what you know is right, and have faith that it will work out for the best.

Clam

Geevee thank you for sharing your epiphinal thoughts, I enjoyed that and do believe it apt.

It's a very common pattern actually. The beneficial comeback of the misunderstood and rejected. The despised stone becoming the chief cornerstone.

Very interesting.

Frog

Ai agree geevee that there is most definitely satisfacton to be found in such a parallel as this for those of us who have been outcast for what we believe is speaking the truth. The same goes for Jesus Christ of course, he to was rejected by his own people, and offered up for dead...only later to be hailed as king! excellent point, & well worth mentioning :)) frog x

geevee

Thank you all for your kind comments. I certainly do hope to keep moving on with life, but at the same time would like to one day be heard by family and friends as a friend and not an enemy. There are not many JW's, family or friends that are prepared to stay in touch [as we all experience] but for those that do, both my wife and I try to be as normal as possible. Letting them see that we are not stressed or stuggling and that as a family we are remaining together [children NOT off the rails]. This in itself confuses the hell out of most.

jgnat

geevee, I get your meaning. It is possible that we, as the "greater crowd" of outcasts, will be able to support exiting, disillusioned JW's. It's happening now.

I like Narkissos' comment that this is a neverending story repeated in every family. I have a good one from my family tree. Several generations back there was a young man who was welcomed in to our large family, though he was not related (Well, he was, out of wedlock. But they kept such things quiet in those days). He was raised along with his half-brothers, and treated as one of our own (which he was). As he grew up he prospered, many times more than his adoptive family. He maintained the warm relationship of his youth. Weren't we all glad that we did?

whyizit

A friend of mine who has relatives that are still in the JWs, asked me an interesting question. She married and moved a few states away, and goes to a non-denominational Bible based church. She recently became a born again Christian and is overly zealous to get her family in to the REAL truth of Christ.

But she has this underlying dread. They have been involved for so many years, over three generations. She just wonders how God could let that happen? She admits that other relatives have gotten out and are Christians, etc...

I told her that probably every generation has had at least one family member who knew something wasn't right. They may have got out, but just didn't know how to reach the rest of the family and didn't have the resources to do it. NOW--the ball is in HER court! She has the ability to help, will she do what it takes to get it done?

Just like Joseph going through all that he did. A lot of hard ship, then success, then forgiveness, then stirring the thought processes of those who were in the wrong, then ultimately salvation for his family, spilling over to his community. The reason you are where you are, is so that you can better understand and love the ones who have not found out the truth yet. It's what you do with it from here that will make it a blessing or a curse.

My Epiphany

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