Ok so here is my life story:
Joined the JW at age 10 (coming to this country) I had not seen my mother in about 3 years before...I lived with grandmother who was and still is a Catholic. So of course I went from living a life full of birthday parties, christmas and New Years to...Not living!!! Well I got fed up with it..I hated each passing day. My parents forced me to get babptized, forced pionering, etc etc. I hated it all. I dont think anyone felt as disguested each day more and more than I did. I saw the hipocricy immediately, the prejudice, the hate....I had never felt anything quite like this.
Well I turned 18 and immediately I began having plans to leave. I had worked since I was 14 and had a few dollars saved. At the time I was dating my present husband (behind my parents backs of course how dare do I date a worldy guy?) One day the elders sat me down because they had concerns. Apparently some whistleblower had informed them that they had seen me sing the National Anthem in School. They said that I was going to have my priviledges suspended for a couple of weeks while they re evaluated my case. They asked me if I felt repentance for what I had done and I said " why? I have done nothing wrong" It was for the first time that I had the urge to stand up for myself ( I got sick of all the BS) Of course my mother was"soooo disappinted in me" sniff sniff, my stepfather all he did was scream at me and almost punched me out while my litle brother cried himself to sleep (he is very overprotective of me) So that night after everyone went to sleep I packed my bags and left. I asked my boyfriend to pick me up and I left. I havent come back since.
Now they never disfellowshiped me. They did come by my house a couple of times but my father in law kicked them out one time they came and my father in law had a gun (that was not charged) attached to his belt you have never seen those two elders leave as fast as they did. He simply told them dont you ever step in my property again....I still laugh about it. My in laws were so comforting I found my mother in law to be the mother I never had. She was not opinionated she would listen to me, she like all my friends they gave my husband and I soooo much support ( yes we got married the weekend I left my house)
My mother and I didnt start speaking to each other until six months later..we now have a good relationship and she never brings up the JW crap my stepfather does but not my mom.
SO anyways I was sitting here pondering and I realized on thing... See my brother keeps me informed of all my ex-JW friends (boy did I find out who my REAL friends were) and I was just sitting here laughing my ass off. Ok so here it goes :
It is almost 4 years since I left my home and got married
By the age of 19 (1 year and 3 months after we got married) My hubby and I had bought our first home. I held a good job at a publishing company as a Marketing Assistant and my husband got a job at a Toy licencing business as an office manager. We have increased our salary every year and our goal is to hit the six figure bracket in the next five years.
We are just about to finish with our educations ( we skipped school a whole year in order to work and save moeny for a down payment on our house) My hubby is in the Business management and I am studying Elementary education. We both have decent cars, multiple CD accounts, We are continoulsy saving for the 401K retirement , we go on great vacations every year (leaving in one month on a 7 day cruise), we still dont have any kids we want to wait until we are throurgh with school. Yes we have a great life because we worked HARD and we are good giving people and I believe deep in my heart that God has helped us and has helped me soo much. I have a deep spiritual connection with God that I never had when i was a JW.
Now get this!! All my other four friends: 1 has three kids she is not married, the first one from one guy, the second (twins) from another still lives with her mother does not work and depends on Government for assistance.
The second got married bought an apartment and first got fined by the city for keeping her house so disgustingly filthy (in unsanitary conditions nicely put) Her husband just lost his job for continuously showing up late every day. His excuse " I am pionnering every morning"
THird friend: She has two kids and a husband is 28 years old and are still to this day living with his parents because they still cant come up with a few bucks to live on their own. She is a compulsive buyer and they just had to rent one of those storage places to store all her crap. (ALL six people live in two bedroom house by the way for further refence she happens to be the oldest sister of friend #1 enough said)
And last but not least my beautiful wonderful friend #4. She was 24 married a guy that was 17 and went off to Bethel. He got kicked out for smoking pot. They came back and went to live in Orlando six months later they divorced. Now she is 28 years old, still never finished high school and has no desire to and works part time at McDonalds. But low and behold they are Jehovas Witnesses so they are Still better than me (Step fathers words not mine)
My mother for the first time in her life told me " Thank God you didnt turn out like them" Yes mom Thank God I didnt. Thank you God for letting me out of that terrible terrible cult Thank you for giving me a wonderful life a loving husband, letting me finish my Univeristy, allowing me to have a wonderful family in-law, and friends allowing me to write on this board and above all for never ever allowing me to even think og going back!
Get this!!!
by Claudia1214 5 Replies latest jw experiences
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Claudia1214
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Gopher
Claudia1214,
Thanks for posting your story! Your perseverance through trouble is quite inspiring. You stayed focused on your life goals, and by God, you're making it!
And you're quite right to ignore the judgment of a few holier-than-thou JW's. Not all JW's are that way, but enough of them are to stain their reputation! Glad your mom came around, because you stuck to your guns and made something fine out of your life, with someone who sounds like a wonderful man!
I hope you may post again on our "Main" board later on any subject you like; you have an interesting, cut-through-the-bull perspective on things & that's great!
GopherWhy shouldn't truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
Mark Twain (1835-1910) -
Nathan Natas
Claudia,
Yours is a very moving story with a delightfully happy ending!
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mymailmum
I feel so sad for you...you have given so much of your life to Jehovah and then you gave up when under test.
Jehovah does not forget what you did for his name. But girl, you failed a test that all of Jehovah's Witnesses have to go thru. WE DO NOT SERVE AND WORSHIP PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IMPERFECT PEOPLE!
You were tested like Job but you forgot to turn to Jehovah in pray to help you during the hardest test we all go thru. He would have guided you on what to do... then you would know for sure that He is real.
Are you with your new church people praising Jehovah and teaching people about the only hope of the Kingdom? You know you
are not...but you know deep down that is what we are to do.Jehovah has a perfect track record, EVERYTHING he says is going to happen...
Jesus said these apostates would come. They have all decided to jump off the bridge and you have followed. Just like Judas Escariot.
If I would have stayed in the Kingdom Hall just because of the people, imperfect people just like me, believe me I would have left a long time ago. I love Jehovah and if he allows certain things to continue for a time, then that is His decision.
Satan is the one testing all of Jehovah's people...he wants company.
And all those aposates that have failed their test of faith in Jehovah want company too. And they cry about it all over the internet.Why are they not coming to my door if they are so loving and they know what is going to happen in the future?
I cannot begin to tell you all the stuff I have personally gone thru over the years but I can tell you, I have seen ALOT. And each time I have had to make personal adjustments and sometimes even changed congregations where there were even apostates within, girl we are close to the end and you HAVE TO have a close relationship with Jehovah to get thru this. It is the only way...Please find a Hall that you feel comfortable and loved in...I know it is there for you... for sure...I trust in Jehovah! NOT imperfect MAN!
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Prisca
I wonder what has happened to Claudia1214... and to Mymailmum for that matter?
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Holey_Cheeses*King_of_the juice.
Remember claudia1214 - cheeses still loves you. mymailmum - are you practicing a part for the Service Meeting this week (is the CO visiting?)? Unfortunately I read your post immediately after finishing my evening meal and, well, I nearly vomited.
Have you stopped taking your medication?