Did anything a householder said ever make an impression on you?

by Alleymom 64 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  blondie

  Over the years, I have been asked to:

  Explain why how Jesus is Michael the Archangel

  (Couldn't so I quietly ditched that idea)

  Explain the 2300 days/constant feature

  (An elder tossed me a 20 page copy of an old WT article and walked away without a word. I tossed that idea and the article in the trash)

  Explain "free gift" and "works" in the Bible

  (Used only the Bible and came to the right conclusion but not the WTS conclusion. Ditched that idea)

  Explain why anniversaries are okay but birthdays are wrong

  (Started realizing JWs follow men not the Bible)

  Blondie
• 

  lisavegas420

  When I was really young, 5 or 6. I remember alot of people slamming the door in our face as soon as they saw who we were. One time in particular, the lady opened her door, her dog made a mad dash for the door, then just as she was slamming it shut, the old sister I was with, swung her bookbag toward the door and it got slammed in the door, the lady in the house started yelling at us, "You people will try anything". But she did open her door just a crack so old sister could get her book bag out.

  Even then at that age, it really hurt my feelings, and I hated going.

  Another time I was about 12 or 13, and a man at the door said after I offered the mags. "How much are they WORTH?" ...Well,I didn't have an answer for that, so I said l, " Not much, how about 10 cent a piece"

  Lisa.
• 

  Duncan

  I do remember, one cold winter's morning, a householder's reaction to me being there. I was 17, and pioneering. I was suffering from quite a bad cold, all runny nose and streaming eyes, sneezing all over the place - BUT! - still "faithfully" "heroically" going from door-to-door. I just had to get those hours in, come what may!

  I was working a street - alone - not far from where I lived, and the woman on this door let me offer the magazines and then said [something like]:

  "What do you think you're doing? Go home and go to bed, you stupid young man! You're not only making yourself worse - you're spreading it all around!"

  She was quite right, of course. Maybe she was a nurse or doctor or something. It was one of the few times I had been made to feel genuinely ashamed to be on the doors, and I remember that feeling even now.

  Didn't stop me carrying on that morning, of course - the conditioning was way too strong at that point. But I remember it well, so she must have got through to me.

  Duncan
• 

  Englishman

  One chap looked me right in the eye and said: "You really hate doing this, don't you? Go on, be honest, a young chap like you should be out having fun".

  I blustered on a bit and then admitted that I did indeed hate it but I had no choice as this was what God wanted.

  Englishman.
• 

  xjw_b12

  Good topic alleymom.

  2 calls.

  Working with my mom, while their was a jw blood custody case involving a 12 year old girl, going on in the city, and we called on a nurse. She was very visibly upset, and though she was not rude per se, she was very strong and emotional in gettting her point across. "How could we let our young children die in front of our faces, by refusing them a medical treatment, that could save their lives?" I remember the term "barbaric". My mom was so shook up, she was practically in tears, and went directly back to the car.

  The other one was on a return visit / bible study with my dad. This couple was coming along nicely, but during this visit, the subject came up regards reporting of time in field service. The gentleman asked..." Do you mean you are counting this time right now with me to report back to your head office?" If this work you are doing is rendering service to God, as you put it, why do you have to report it to men. Dosen't God know what you are doing?"

  Funny how things like that when they happened, you brushed them off, and made internal excuses to yourself, but you look back at them now and you wonder how you did not see it then !
• 

  SadElder

  Trying to involve a basically indifferent man at the door one time, asked when he said he had his own church, 'well what are you learning new that you can share'. His reply 'I try not to'.

  I think most people try not to.
• 

  Hamas

  Somebody once asked:

  Yeah, but how do you know it's true ?

  ..... good point.
• 

  undercover

  I remember one elderly woman who listened patiently as we gave our prepared sermon. We asked her who she thought was responsible for all the worlds woes. Her answer? The Beatles. The world was normal till they came along and then everything changed. And all this time I thought that the world had changed in 1914.

  One other experience that has stayed with me all my years: Me, age 16, and a sister, aged 15 who was killer cute and I was just proud as a peacock to be seen out in service with her, got a door together. The "lady" of the house came to the door wearing a see thru negligee(sp?). As I commenced on my sermon, the lady reached up and pulled loose the bow that was holding it together in the front and it fell open for an excellent view. I pretty much forgot why I was there at that point and just stammered and stuttered my way through the rest of it, much to the amusement of the pretty little thing I was with. I'd do go back to the field service if I got that response more often
• 

  dobby

  One of my last doors in service did.

  I used to call on this lady as a "magazine route". She was German living in the U.S. and she would always take the magazines. However, she was never interested in the idea of a bible study. Every time I called on her she always seemd to be on the verge of saying something to me - it was the expression in her eyes - in hindsight I believe she felt sorry for me and probably knew more about the JW's then she let on. I liked her very much and always thought in the back of my mind that in different circumstances it would be nice to be her friend.

  The last time I called on her I had just begun to tell folks I was pregnant with my son. My husband and I shared the good news with this lady. She smiled very kindly and said (I can't remember the exact words but something like this) "Congratulations. I think it's wonderful, but it's not surprising - it's the circle of life isn't it? It's part of the human experience since the beginning of time and you have taken your place in that process".

  It was wierd because I suddenly saw myself as very small as part of the vast, moving, dying, living, loving, birthing mass of humanity from the present, past and future. Why did I think I was someone special? And why is my experience or lifetime any different than anyone else's? And finally what's wrong with just existing - living the best you can - why do we think we have to find "truth" in this ancient and mysterious human existence when no one before us has found it.
• 

  BeelzeDub

  Did anything a householder said ever make an impression on you?

  At the age of 13 working house to house with another boy about the same age, an aging WWII veteran came storming out the door... yelling that he was going to put a bayonet up are ass for the WT refusing to take up arms. Left quite an impression.