Or maybe you are still a zealous JW.
I became a regular pioneer while I was still in High School. I used to set my alarm for 5 am three times a week and walk a few blocks to do streetwork. Hardly anyone on the street, but I felt good about it. I was interviewed on the District Convention about that. A brother Jerry Opris, C.O., from North Carolina interviewed me.
Then I went and served in the Midwest for a couple of years.
Then when I was accepted to MTS and became a missionary, I really tried my best to be zealous. The hourly requirement for a missionary is 140 hours. Missionaries over 60 can put in 130 hours. I think that has changed recently, both lowered by 10. For the first few months I did the 140. I don';t think I missed it even once. After that I wanted to get into the circuit work. My C.O. told me to show the Branch how serious I was. So I started putting in 150 hours a month. Sometimes more.
So finally I was in the Circuit work. The hour requirement for Circuit Overseers was not 90 hours a month. Regular pioneers had to put that time in, but we were told it was OK to put in less if we were shepherding or doing congregation stuff. Now the hours are 70, but I don't know what the hour requirement for C.O.'s is. But even still I put in over a 100 hours each month in service as a C.O. I was in the circuit work for over 7 years.
I would even go in service sometimes on Tuesday mornings. The C.O. starts his visit on Tuesday night, and goes in service on Wednesday, but I wanted to really show I was zealous, so I would go out with the local congregation. And then I would also go in early morning streetwork sometimes. And evening witnessing.
I also wanted to be zealous in studying. I read the Societies publications, I thought that was studying. I read the Bible 5 times total, yes the NWT. I tried to get through the Insight Books, but I didn't make it. I made a "research notebook" where I wrote study projects. I did the Creative Days, the Herods, the Caesars, District Convention Themes, Parallels between Moses and Christ, Governing Body members, Prophecies yet to be fulfilled, Fruitage of the Spirit. I still have that book.
I did have time to relax, but I was sure Armageddon was coming before the year 2000, so I wanted to be as zealous as possible. My conscience would really bother me if I didn't work hard during the week.
What a waste of time. I did think I was serving God, and I did make a lot of friends in my assignment, some I am still in touch with. But I put in thousands of hours of field service, and for what?
So, what about you?
How ZEALOUS were you?
BF