Signs From God?

by What Now? 26 Replies latest jw experiences

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  What Now?

  Not sure about the rest of you that are mentally out, but every now and again I still have those moments where I think "Ok God, if this is in fact the true religion and the organization is right and I'm on the wrong path, send me a big, glaringly obvious sign that I can't ignore.

  Anyways, this past Sunday my husband and I just did not feel like going to the meeting. We weren't in the mood to sit through it. We slept in, relaxed, then around the time that we were supposed to be leaving, went to the store to do our grocery shopping. As we walked in, I jokingly said to my husband "I hope we don't see anyone from the hall". Well wouldn't you know it, an older brother from our hall (who professes to be of the annointed no less), had been out in service and was just there grabbing a quick lunch before the meeting. He saw us and said hello, and kind of gave us an odd look, like "hmmm it's fifteen minutes until the meeting starts and these two are here in their street clothes ready to do their grocery shopping".

  I felt like God was telling me I really should go to the meeting that day.

  We didn't go, but it was one of those moments that made me wonder.

  Have any of you had experiences like that?
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  cofty

  Stop looking for patterns and meanings in life's random events and it will go away.

  Take time to reflect on evidence. What do you know that shows the organisation is not what it claims to be?

  Don't worry its normal, in time the guilt, dependancy and anxiety will all fade, and without noticing exactly when it happened you will realise you are free.
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  finally awake

  A real sign from God would be more like a thundering voice from heaven saying "What Now? get thee to a Kingdom Hall". But that's not gonna happen.
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  smiddy

  The" sign" here What Now? is that the religion of JW`s breeds superstition,looking for signs in everything that happens

  smiddy
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  just n from bethel

  Personally I'm more interested in signs from Satan and the demons than signs from God. I always heard that as soon as you started becoming weak in the JW faith the devil would pounce on you like a roaring lion.

  I was told the primary way he did this was by throwing temptation at me, the most common being loose women. Here I am a few years into my fade, with almost dead faith, and I'm not so lucky. Stan (that's my nickname for Satan now) hasn't thrown me one bone (giggity). Much less the 25 top model quality women that I openly agreed to selling my soul for if they would suddenly appear with immediate lust for me within a short time frame. And you know what ... I got nuthin.

  In all seriousness, I'm working more than ever but actually enjoying not trying to fit in all the BS obligations that JW activity required for salvation and paradise that never comes. I've ran into so many JWs, at grocery stores, post offices, and everywhere between - one even tried to tell me it was a sign. I was like "how often do you come here" - He answered, ''once a week''. I replied ''I'm here at least two or three times a week, if this is a sign, then wow, someone with all power isn't really trying hard.''

  Cofty is right - it's human nature to see patterns in what are otherwise natural coincidences at best. When you were ever on vacation for the first time in a new city, did you drive by a kingdom hall and notice it? How many other churches though did you drive by and notice that you still remember? Probably way more than kingdom Halls, but you never noticed them and certainly didn't remember them, because you didn't attach any meaning to them. It's simply what I call selective awareness.

  You'll have it for a while - it won't ever be a sign. Eventually, you won't even notice it.

  Now when I see those 25 top models that randomly appear out of nowhere looking for suntan lotion guy, the first thing I'm going to say when that happens is - "you're in luck - there's a town about 5 miles that way, I'm sure you'll find some guys there." Then I'll think to myself, "man - some day I'll get my break, I just gotta keep my eyes open."
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  ldrnomo

  What now:

  It sounds like your saying because you happened to be at a store in your community and a person who professes to be a JW, (annointed no less) who no doubt lives in your community and you just happened to see at a store is some kind of sign saying you should be at a meeting. Is that what your saying?
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  mrsjones5

  It was just a cowinkydink, nothing more.
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  WTWizard

  Any sign from God would be rubbish. God would just as soon you go to some Muslim country in the middle East and waste your life doing nothing but bringing Christianity in that region (which Paul did once, but obviously that didn't hold). Do that, and you will have the thrill of realizing you didn't accomplish a damn thing with your life, and that the sacrifice was totally in vain. After which you get zilch for a reward. Then, looking back a few hundred years, either the religion you slaved so hard to promote has died out or some tyrant used it to oppress a whole region.

  Serve God, get nothing worthwhile. Find those signs from God and act on them, and you are bound to find yourself in the middle of north Africa spreading some worthless rubbish and wasting your whole life doing something you hate doing. Disobey God, and at least you have a chance of doing something you enjoy more and/or benefitting from it. And having a more lasting effect in the process.
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  steve2

  Christians of one denomination or another are always on the watch for signs and portents. "If you are the Savior, Lord please reveal yourself to me" or "If this is the true religion, please give me a sign". Be aware that these sorts of "If it is true...show me a sign" are examples of a type of thinking called "Wishful Thinking". Lots of wishful thinking is positive; but at times it's also negative (e.g., "Oh please help me see that this religion is not "the Truth".

  I've know fundamentalist Christians who, in a crisis of faith, have raised their eyes to heaven and cried out, "Lord, reveal yourself to me and let me know your will". A colleague of mine - whom I had initially considered a sensible, well educated man - disclosed to me that when his Christian wife was gravely ill, he had got down on his knees to "The Lord" and promised to devote his life to "The Lord" if his wife recovered. She recovered. He became a born again Christian. He was convinced "The Lord" had answered his prayer - unbothered by his wife having an illness that has a low fatality rate.

  Wishful thinking proves absolutely nothing at all -except that we are still enthralled by a magical view of the world. Personally, the sooner you recognize your wishful thinking fr what it is, the sooner you'll get on with the wonderful business of living your life without life-sapping visits to the Kingdom Hall.
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  tec

  "Ok God, if this is in fact the true religion and the organization is right and I'm on the wrong path, send me a big, glaringly obvious sign that I can't ignore.

  Well... was it a big, glaringly, obvious sign that you couldn't ignore?

  Or are you turning it into something like that? Looking for it to be a sign?

  Personally, I don't ask for signs. How would I know how to interpret them? I could ask for understanding and faith... but then why ask for a sign on top of that? - it would be acting outside of faith, that He heard my plea and would answer - as he promised: knock and the door will be opened. Look at the evidence, (can't believe I'm agreeing with Cofty :P), ask for faith and guidance and Truth, and follow Christ as best as you can. When in doubt, act in love and mercy and forgiveness toward others. Treat others as you wish you would be treated. Those are the things that Christ taught and lived.

  Peace to you,

  Tammy