Did You Ever Feel Refreshed As A Jehovah's Witness???

by minimus 27 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  AwakenedAndFree

  " Did You Ever Feel Refreshed as ...."

  as a Watchtower Witness? How could you ever feel refreshed under so much pressure from the elders to do more? I NEVER DID feel refreshed spiritually, NO.

  When I was still in the Org., I attended a meeting where the Presiding Overseer was the speaker. The Circuit Overseer had just left the Congregation that week. And this is what the Presiding Overseer had to say of that (wonderful week) oops - NOT we had with our Brother Circuit Overseer :" Brothers and Sisters, we had a grueling week!"

  I tought then that this was a horrible thing to say, specially when Jesus addressed to the apostles that Jesus' load is light! I was so confused for so long!

  It's grueling to be a Watchtower Witness!

  AAF
• 

  Athanasius

  No.
• 

  minimus

  It is difficult to ever feel refreshed when all you have to deal with is pressure....Pressure to make all the meetings, to prepare for them, to go out in service, to make enough placements, to not offend another's conscience, to not have a worldly (normal) attitude, to not go to college, to not date unless you're ready for marriage, to not commit fornication, to not do anything wrong....
• 

  Mysterious

  Too much guilt for that. No matter how much you did that was "right" there was always things that you were doing that were less than right, things that could have been better, things you should do more, things you should do less. And any time you felt like maybe it was too much the guilt trip was laid on you that you should be doing it because you love Jehovah and if you feel that way you clearly have the wrong attitude and need to change. If you felt like you didn't have enough time for yourself you were made to feel guilty for not devoting more of your time to study and meetings and service and prayer. If you gave one comment you should have given two. If you placed two magazines you should have placed four. If you spent six hours in service you should have spent ten. You are reminded of the hardworking ones in the congregation that dont complain, the ones that push on despite illnesses, and who are you to want more time for yourself when you were given the gift of life! When others come out of the meetings feeling refreshed and you dont, you're made to feel guilty about that. No there was definitely too much guilt there. Maybe there wasn't when I was a small child but from as long as I was old enough to remember it was like that and I was always "trying to change" like a good little dub.
• 

  minimus

  I ask this question because JW's are TRAINED to think that they are "refreshed". The dictionary defines "refresh" in this way-----to give new life, vigor, liveliness, spirit, brightness. Also---revive, to renew strength or spirit......JW's regularly feel that they fall short. They always need to do more. They are regularly reminded that they are not good enough. Witnesses are not "refreshed". They are downtrodden and discouraged. They always need to make more goals. Most of these goals always seem to revolve around numbers in the organization.
• 

  got my forty homey?

  I only felt refreshed Sunday night because I knew School was Monday I could try to act kool in school unless a kid recognized me knocking on his door with my Mother and Father. Usually Sunday nights we had yearbook reading, so after that I felt refreshed, only because school was the next day.
• 

  Singing Man

  I taught a man how to read so he could read the bible. But then latter I learned it was teachings of man, and that hurt to learn this.
• 

  CountryGuy

  I have to admit, when I got baptized I did. I was very young and thought that I was doing what God wanted me to. I felt I had His approval.... And, I knew I had the approval of the local elders. What's better than that to a young JW?

  It didn't last long... maybe a couple of months.
• 

  spiritwalker

  One time, while at a district convention, I was so constipated. You know how it is, after all those hours of driving. Well, about half way through lunch an elder came up to me and said, "we need to speak right away." I was so stressed at this comment, that I found it caused me to need to go to the bathroom. So I went to the restroom and had a great session, if you know what I mean, and when I left the restroom I felt that "refreshing" feeling, I think others always mentioned.
• 

  minimus

  Taking a crap at an assembly, Spiritwalker, is always refreshing. Great post!