After 16 years of inactivity...

[Allabord4Jah]

Not sure where this story should go, but if its in the wrong spot, please moderators, please move it where it belongs.

 

I just got a phone call yesterday (Monday) from an inactive sister that I have been (for years) trying to help her to come back to the meetings.  Well, after crying my eyes out (yesterday), I learned that she came to the early morning meeting where I meet (my meeting in the afternoon). She met up with her fleshly sister who is a JW and her husband an elder, who came to give the talk.   She stayed for the WT study, and yesterday in our conversation on the phone, she told me how the WT saved her life.  She had been stumbled by the words and actions of some in the same congregation she had been away from for those 16 years.  I don't want to make this story long, because she and I go back a long time.   I told her from the start that Jehovah never gave up on her, and that is why I never gave up on her.  She just cried and so did I.   She asked me to get on line (she was just overwhelmed) to find out the closet meeting near her home.  I found one 5 minutes from her house.  She is going there Sunday to speak with the elders and also ask for a Bible Study so she can catch up with the rest of us.   I told her that I knew a few of the elders in that hall, they are all good men and will certainly help her out.   I can't go into any big details, they are not important. What is important is that she decided on her own to come back to Jehovah.  I imagine the heavens clapping up there for one sinner that has returned!   She even advised me that Monday, before she called me later that day, that she had spoken with her manager to reschedule her work hours so she can make the weekday meeting and weekend, being Sunday.   Never stop praying for these ones, because you just don't know.   Maybe to some in here 16 years is a drop in the bucket, but for her and for me (she was my dearest friend) was a lot of time spent away from Jehovah!   Am just so happy and proud of her.   Yeah, I can imagine up in heaven when one sinner turns around and comes back to the flock of God!  

 

Thought I'd share this with all of you, because Jehovah made this possible, not by me but from his word!

[hatcheckgirl]

Lisa, such stories do give us hope!  Thanks for sharing here with us.  We all have close family and friends that we would love to have return again.  We need to just stay hopeful and be strong and be there for them when they return.

[A fellow servant]

Wow,    what an encouraging experience of our lost sheep!      Can you imagine if even half of those who have become inactive for one reason or another how many we would have in Jehovah's organization earthwide?         Thanks for sharing that experience Sis!    Made my day!!

[Friends just call me Ross]

Tell her your online family says,

 

[Allabord4Jah]

Sunday's WT lesson made this scripture come alive for her:    (Proverbs 25:11) Like apples of gold in silver carvings Is a word spoken at the right time.

 

It was the right time for her to be at that meeting and to hear the discussion on the subject in the WT study.  

 

[RaymondG]

Originally posted by A fellow servant (Rev. 22:9)

Wow,    what an encouraging experience of our lost sheep!      Can you imagine if even half of those who have become inactive for one reason or another how many we would have in Jehovah's organization earthwide?

 

Just imagine if you were and elderly sister, and while out witnessing you came to a door and knocked. And the response was:

 

"Come on in, you're just the person I want to see!"

 

Of  course you would enter, would you not? You might have heard that the people here were inactive Witnesses... or you might not.

 

"I want to order 19 bibles," the householder reveals.

 

Joy, oh joy, you would declare, right? And what an opportunity, you have the bookstudy group at your house (yes, this is some years ago!) and you might just get these people to come along. And you do, they attend regularly. But they don't go to the other meetings.

 

You learn that they became inactive some 33 years earlier. And then, after a while, they attend a Sunday meeting, they give up their other interests and come along to the Ministry School and Service meeting... and prepare themselves for witnessing!

 

This story is true, the inactive couple came back and were regularly doing 30 hours a month witnessing, they remained faithful until their deaths. I'm glad to say that I also had a hand in encouraging them to go to the main meetings as they were my parents.

 

There are vast numbers out there who have become inactive for some reason or other. Or whose circumstances make them appear to be inactive or irregular. When I was being quizzed by the immigration officer about going into England the woman was determined that I was going to be trying to work there illegally. For some reason I said I was a Witness and she said, "Why didn't you say so? My parents are Witnesses..." and so I was allowed to go through.

 

She might well be one of those inactive ones.