My Talk

I had my first talk for ages in the Kingdom Ministry school on Thursday night. This was the talk I was doing:  

Return Visit: (4 min. or less) g17.5 cover—The magazine was featured on the preceding visit. Continue the conversation, and lay the groundwork for the next visit.

 And this is the current magazine (g17.5):

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/awake-no5-2017-october/disaster-steps-that-can-save-lives/  

And this is the talk:


Sue:  Hello A.M. nice to find you in. I'm Sue from your local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.   If you remember, I called earlier this month and I found you in the middle of decorating  - painting.  How is it going?

AM:   Oh, it's never ending.  But I've got the day off as I have a friend coming over.  In fact, I thought you were her when I heard the door bell.

Sue:   You are a busy lady - so I will get straight to the point. I just wanted to ask if you had found a moment to read the magazine I left with you.

AM:   Yes...  I did... but I wasn't interested in that article about disasters - too much gloom and doom on the news as it is. But there was an article about shells I found quite interesting. I used to collect them when I was a little girl.

Sue.  That was this one on the back page. Yes, they are so lovely. Do you see why we included that article?

AM:   Yes - clearly you are saying that the beauty of shells, the way they are made, says they must have a maker, a creator.

Sue. That's it!  When we see such perfect design and engineering and artistry what does it tell us about their Grand Creator, Jehovah?

AM:   But you see really your magazine contradicts itself because when you look at that article about all the disasters that can happen, that are happening, doesn't that tell us that, if there is a Creator, he does not care for us?

Sue: That really is the question. All this beauty and all the tragedy. (I gave a short illustration about how a parent making a lovely garden for a child would not include lots of dangerous animals, poisonous plants, open wells for it to fall down, etc)  And I do wonder why more people don't ask it.  But I would love to show you how the Bible answers it.   I then read her this para from the article:  Disasters assault our very sense of justice. In response, some people mistakenly blame God. Many, like Joshua, experience “survivor’s guilt.” “I still wonder if I could have saved more people,” he says. “I am comforted by my belief that God will soon bring complete justice to the earth and will right all wrongs. In the meantime, I cherish each day of life and do what I reasonably can to preserve it.”​—Revelation 21:4, 5.

And then I read the quoted verses, stressing the "faithful and true":

"And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”  And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.” Also he says: “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” - Revelation 21:4,5

AM:   Of course I would love that to be true, but how can I believe it?

Sue:  If you could spare me a bit of time - would next Thursday morning be good - I would love to show you how the Bible reassures us. 


It seemed to go down very well - thank God.  In fact, a Bible student who regularly attends the meetings said that he wished it could have been longer!

Now I am not sure if that was due to my brilliant script, my dazzling stage presence, or the fact that my householder was a particularly lovely young sister.    I asked Captain B, who had watched our rehearsal, but he pleaded the Fifth Amendment and remained silent.

So I shall accept it as a tribute to the power of Jehovah's inspired word to reach peoples' hearts, and the excellent teaching we get in the Kingdom Ministry School, week after week, which has enabled even me to get up on the big stage and speak effectively.

And as I was watching Winter Wipeout yesterday (people falling off things into water, marvelous stuff), and watching the fake snowflakes fall, I thought of the beauty and complexity of Jehovah's creation.  Apparently every snowflake is different...  yet there are countless billions of them.

So I was thinking about Thursday night, when, in congregations worldwide, the same little talks would be given - so many brothers and sisters with exactly the same brief, yet each talk would have been different.

The creation is wonderful now.  What is to come in the restored earthly Paradise?

I hope we are all there to find out.