Reflections (I must be tired or shumpthink)

by Brummie 14 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  Brummie

  Last week I visited brummie land and it gave me a lot to think about, in particular my JW grandmother and here is why.

  She was born in 1914 and was of the generation that was waiting for the new system to usher in paradise....she waited and waited

  She would have been around when all the Bible students were waiting for 1925 to usher in the new system.

  She lived through both world wars but often told us about the 2 nd world war and how she waited for Armageddon....she waited still

  When my grandfather died in the 1970s she was heartbroken and told us she wouldnt have to wait too long to see him again as the new system was just around the corner....she waited with her heart in her hands.

  She waited through 1975...waited and waited..nothing

  During her old age she attended all meetings and waited for JW friends to visit her when she became lonely... She waited and waited but seldom did anyone call.

  To fill the void she made a couple of new friends from her old persons neighbourhood. They were not JWs but all being lonely had taken up playing bingo in a little club for lonely old timers, my gran was tempted to go along once....She then waited with guilt for the elders to call. And for once they did.

  Her new friends quickly disappeared because she had been forbidden to play their ungodly little number calling games...she waited and waited for her true freinds to take thier place.

  She waited again for more visits but this time the elders had no reason to call so they didnt.

  She fell in the kingdom hall and the brothers escorted her home, 2 weeks later they realised she had broken her hip, she had waited too long to see a doctor and it eventually led to her death.

  Last week while visiting brummie land (150 miles away from where I live now) I walked through the cemetery where she is buried and decided to go and find her grave. If she ever waits for her JW family to put flowers on the grave then she is even playing the waiting game now.

  Life was a waiting for nothing to happen game for her because of that heartless religion and consequently her waiting eventually became fatal.

  Anyhow, I eventually found the little flat square head stone hidden under a pile of over grown grass.

  As I scraped the grass away I noticed the chipped golden words that her JW family had put on the stone, hence this reflective time Im having...it said ..awaiting the resurrection...

  Nothing she waited for ever became a reality because the Watchtower is all talk and like any con man it can not deliver its promises to little old ladies...will a happy resurrection for someone who followed a false prophet ever become a reality? I'll wait and see.

  Can occasionaly be serious Brummie (Makes me feel sad...must be the meds)

  Edited by - Brummie on 14 December 2002 23:6:38
• 

  nelly1

  awwwwwwww brummie, that is soo sad, but i understand what you mean, and i think the creator knows how faithful your granny was and he wont forget that, i lost my nana too and shed had a hard life and when my dads eldest bro was 14 he was working at an army camp in london, and was kidding around got a pistol said" if i was hitler id do this" and he pulled the trigger while the gun was at his head.... he died........

  my grandmother was devastated, then in 1984 my other uncle dave killed himself by hanging, the family never told my nana they were worried the grief of that knowledge would kill her, i often think when she is ressurected that god in his mercy willl give her back her sons, theres got to be a purpose to all we go through .. dont worry brummie your granny will be back someday i have no doubt abt that

  huggsss from nelly
• 

  Soledad

  that is so sad. It makes me think of my mom. she's close to 70 now, she became a JW in 1971. When I think of her life I feel the same as you. She just waits. Having a non-believing husband puts her in the outcast category, so none of the JWs look after her, just me. She knows of all the Watchtower scandals, but her standard reply is "wait on Jehovah." I often feel like asking her "what are you waiting for? Live your life!" But I guess at this point she feels it's useless to even attempt to do or try something different. So I just smile at her and continue to show her love and support, something I know she'll never get from anyone else.
• 

  Brummie

  Well nel..ya cheered me up! you just got to get into the "who cares the most thread" or at least "whose the most innocent poster" thread lol

  sorry to hear of those poor people in your family reflections :(

  Brummie

  Edited to say Soledad I agree, its sad to see them waiting on the WT, glad she has got you there to look after her..

  Edited by - Brummie on 14 December 2002 23:0:30
• 

  Aztec

  Brummie, I know what you mean. My grandfather was the same. I went to his memorial service out of respect to him and I still remember clear as day what the elder said. "Up to the very end he still believed." I can't express in words how hard that hit me. He died in intense pain and suffered through countless surgeries as he fought cancer over several years. I hate seeing my father following the same path but unfortunatly I do. He too will wait and waste his life in toil for a fairytale. It's sad.

  ~Aztec
• 

  nelly1

  im glad brummie, i like to cheer ppl up,where are u in england? i was born there and i use nelly cuz that was my nanas name

  huggsss

  nelly
• 

  Prisca

  Brummie,

  My grandmother played the "waiting game" too.

  She was contacted by the JWs (then Bible Students) in 1930, and was baptised around 1932. Although she could have claimed to be of the "annoited", she never did, believing in her heart that her destiny was to live here on Earth.

  They believed Armageddon was "just around the corner" way back then, and she waited.

  WW2 came and went. Surely this was a sure sign that the last days were at their end? So she waited.

  1975 came and went. She waited still.

  Her two daughters were diagnosed with cancer and subsequently died. She waited, wanting to be able to walk through Armageddon and welcome back her daughters.

  1984 came and went, while she patiently waited.

  On October 31, 1988 she died, waiting for Armageddon to come.

  ((((((Brummie)))))) So many lives have been put on hold and wasted because people are/were waiting for something that never came. I was one of them, but I am grateful now that I am able to get on with my life, instead of waiting and waiting and waiting.....
• 

  Brummie

  Prisca thats just so similar and sad, many exjws are in fear waiting for armageddon, its the same waiting game, it stops people living and enjoying the rest of their lives.

  Aztec thats word for word what they said at my grans funeral "Faithful right up to the end" faithfull waiting for the end I assume he meant. I sat at the back on the "ignore" seats with a bit of a fuzzy head, but I swear the elder also mentioned how many hours my gran had put in on the service!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  nelly I was born & bred near Birmingham West Mids but now live in Somerset. Where was you born?
• 

  SheilaM

  Brummie:

  We have played the waiting game also we were told not to have children well we married in 1984 and now our children are grown and we have a granddaughter. We were shunned because we had the audacity to want to support our children honestly so we both worked (gasp) They really hated that in all three halls we attended. We have seen so many that were told not to have children in this system look around and find they are now getting to old to think about it. Well were only 38 and thinking about having another one LOL The Witnesses want you when your studying but once your involved in less your are connected there is no association at all. My kids were treated like dirt why because they were respectful GOOD kids and didn't run all over the hall knocking people over and GASP I let them play with WORDLY children that live on our street, who the hell else were they going to play with the zombies from the hall? Well, one of those horrible wordly kids was so upset that my son had lost his faith after the witnesses horrible treatment of my husband after a car wreck, this worldly kids got the bible out and talked to my son about GOD and my son has been a happy presbrytiarian (how ever you spell it) ever since as for me I choose to run like hell from anything close to organized religion YUCKY YUCKY PHEW My hubby being raised in the "truth" has seen so many waiting...endlessly
• 

  MrMoe

  ((((((((Brummie))))))))

  Remember this. She lived her life the way SHE wanted to. In the end, that is what really matters.