experience with an old workmate earlier this week

by isaacaustin 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  isaacaustin

  a few details have been changed in case the person posts here:

  We talked for several hours. She said she lost all motivation and would like it back but can’t get it back. She still believes most of their doctrines and believes she follows them because they teach the truth. She said she has always hated field service, that it is useless. I was able to feed on this...directing her to James and showed her the works that faith produces (although they do not earn salvation) are kind deeds to others- nowhere does James mention the preaching of the gospel as the works produced by faith. Kind deeds reflecting Jesus love are the greatest witness. We spoke of blood, holiday, 1914 generation (which she did not know of). She thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and would like to continue them. So, overall a great experience. I was able to consistently gear her toward Jesus and what his death accomplished and freed us from, in contrast to the legalistic, works-based organization chock full of man-made rules. I was able to plant some seeds and anxiously await talking with her more.
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  Jadeen

  Sounds like her brain is starting to work! Yay!
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  isaacaustin

  Well it has been a few days...I sent her the following short email to hopefully keep the dialog going:

  "It has been a busy few days. Just wanted to say I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with you and talking with you last Thurs. I think we gave each other a lot to think on. Hope to do it again sometime."

  She had mentioned to me when having lunch that she always hated field service, that she saw it as fruitless...so that was my opening to build on. We then touched on a n array of topics but I kept bringining it back to the legalism of the org contrasted with what Jesus freed us from. Hopefully some seeds were planted.
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  awildflower

  The other day when I was with my good jw friend we were watching country videos and this one came on about big corporate america sticking it to the little man in the factory. Taking their jobs and closing down the factory. They would show these big wigs sitting up in their ivory tower making huge dicissions not realizing the effect it was having on the little man. So my friend was talking about how jacked up that was and I used it as an oppurtunity to "plant a seed". I said, "ya, isn't it sad when a group of men can make dicissions over people and never live their life to know how their dicissions are affecting the average person? That seems so wrong. People should never be aloud to be over anyone else and tell them what to do without living their life........" I don't know if it did anything, but I sure felt good about planting a seed. I tend to think now, that outside of organized religion, Holy Spirit is truly operating in my life and that that insident may have been Holy Spirit trying to help my friend.

  So keep planting the seeds very, very carefully. I love my friend to death and I don't approach it as trying to 'make him see why this is wrong'. I want the freedom of Christ to come into his life so I'm very delecate so he will continue to be my friend so I can help him hopefully......wf
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  isaacaustin

  I got an email from her last night..she stated that she also thoroughly enjoyed talking with me and that she can not help but to keep thinking of the many issues we spoke of. She would like to get together again soon. :)

  Right now she in in no-man's land spiritually. Perhaps a lil Co of C can help.
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  OnTheWayOut

  Well, just tread lightly. Keep your marriage strong and watch out for rumors of rendevous with other JW's. (Doesn't matter what the truth is, rumors are terrible.)

  You definitely enjoy reaching out to others and helping them out. I commend you. As for me, revealing my "apostasy" just isn't worth it. I will be glad to help someone who reaches out with concerns, but I don't seek out any current believing JW's. Power to you on that.