How did my part in the Circuit Assembly Enter Into God's Rest go? I was assigned the first answer in the Watchtower Summary. And the Watchtower article was You Can Remain Confident During Uncertain Times.
I was given the first question on the considerate grounds that it is painful for me to stand for long these days. Here is the question: What similarities are there between our situation and that of the Jews who returned to Jerusalem?
And this was my answer:
There are many similarities between what they faced then and what we are facing now. For example, many of us are worried about how we can provide for our families in these difficult economic times - will we be able to keep our job, will we be able to find another one if we lose it? That must be a worry for so many heads of households. We may well be worried about our family's safety because of political turmoil and wars. We may be facing persecution, because of our religion or our ethnicity. We may be facing strong opposition to the Kingdom preaching work - work in which we all want to have a share. So it is going to be beneficial and reassuring to be reminded of how Jehovah helped his people deal with these same problems back then.
If you read the first paragraph of this Watchtower on the website JW.org, you will see where I got my answer from. I did not rely on my own wisdom here!
Anyway, how did it go? Well, think: standing ovations, bouquets hurled at the stage, cries of Encore Encore, and a beautiful creature (me), very similar to Kate Moss only lovelier, stepping forward to take the applause with a modest smile... "Wake up, you're dreaming!". That was Captain Butterfly interrupting my reverie.
Actually, it went very well. I managed to get on and off the stage without fainting, nor did my two new front teeth fall out and land with a clunk on the stage the moment I arrived on it. I managed to get my answer out correctly without losing my voice through sheer panic and standing there like a foolish goldfish* opening and shutting my mouth but saying nothing. And all of us involved got kind applause from our friendly audience afterwards.
I was given the first question on the considerate grounds that it is painful for me to stand for long these days. Here is the question: What similarities are there between our situation and that of the Jews who returned to Jerusalem?
And this was my answer:
There are many similarities between what they faced then and what we are facing now. For example, many of us are worried about how we can provide for our families in these difficult economic times - will we be able to keep our job, will we be able to find another one if we lose it? That must be a worry for so many heads of households. We may well be worried about our family's safety because of political turmoil and wars. We may be facing persecution, because of our religion or our ethnicity. We may be facing strong opposition to the Kingdom preaching work - work in which we all want to have a share. So it is going to be beneficial and reassuring to be reminded of how Jehovah helped his people deal with these same problems back then.
If you read the first paragraph of this Watchtower on the website JW.org, you will see where I got my answer from. I did not rely on my own wisdom here!
Anyway, how did it go? Well, think: standing ovations, bouquets hurled at the stage, cries of Encore Encore, and a beautiful creature (me), very similar to Kate Moss only lovelier, stepping forward to take the applause with a modest smile... "Wake up, you're dreaming!". That was Captain Butterfly interrupting my reverie.
Actually, it went very well. I managed to get on and off the stage without fainting, nor did my two new front teeth fall out and land with a clunk on the stage the moment I arrived on it. I managed to get my answer out correctly without losing my voice through sheer panic and standing there like a foolish goldfish* opening and shutting my mouth but saying nothing. And all of us involved got kind applause from our friendly audience afterwards.
And my partner, though very nervous herself, was a tower of strength, and sailed through her part.
I feel very happy to have done it, even though today I am in such pain I can hardly walk round the flat. I am so glad that the young elder in charge patiently coaxed me into doing this. And SO grateful that Jehovah supported me through it all. And it makes me realise I will have to find a new strategy if I am to get to the next Assembly. There is I think a special room for the disabled and I must ring up and ask about it at some stage. I would need to have some kind of special chair plus my trusty zimmer frame, as I think it was the painful struggle to get in and out of my seat that has done for me.
*No offence intended to Goldfish by the way, who are intelligent creatures, sensitive and - as I am sure an offended goldfish is pointing out even now - much lovelier than many of us damaged children of disobedient Adam, "while mentioning no names", with a meaningful fishy look at myself. I found some golden fish on Captain Butterflies' website gallery to head this blog - though they are not actually goldfish. They are blue-striped snappers I believe and are probably from the beautiful Indian Ocean.
I feel very happy to have done it, even though today I am in such pain I can hardly walk round the flat. I am so glad that the young elder in charge patiently coaxed me into doing this. And SO grateful that Jehovah supported me through it all. And it makes me realise I will have to find a new strategy if I am to get to the next Assembly. There is I think a special room for the disabled and I must ring up and ask about it at some stage. I would need to have some kind of special chair plus my trusty zimmer frame, as I think it was the painful struggle to get in and out of my seat that has done for me.
*No offence intended to Goldfish by the way, who are intelligent creatures, sensitive and - as I am sure an offended goldfish is pointing out even now - much lovelier than many of us damaged children of disobedient Adam, "while mentioning no names", with a meaningful fishy look at myself. I found some golden fish on Captain Butterflies' website gallery to head this blog - though they are not actually goldfish. They are blue-striped snappers I believe and are probably from the beautiful Indian Ocean.
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