The Ministry School, a Missing Tooth, and Me

 The Ministry School gave us these parameters for our part:

• Return Visit: (4 min.) Begin with the sample conversation. Offer a publication from our Teaching Toolbox. (th study 9)  (You can find further details on JW.org under the heading meetings, as it gives the schedule for the current week.)

And this is how we tackled it last night:

My Partner:  Hello Sue, how are you?

Me:  Hello My Partner.  Nice to see you in Zoom again. Fine thanks.

MP: We talked last week about God's purposes and how he gave our first parents the lovely and satisfying work of turning the whole earth into a paradise.  Have you thought some more about that?

Me:  I have. And I admit it is a lovely idea, that there is a Creator who cares, and wants us to live in a paradise earth. But I don't know, because the way things are on the earth it feels more like we have been abandoned - left to get on with it - and make a terrible mess of it.

MP:  Yes, I understand, and I know that many people feel the same. But would you think about it this way. If a manufacturer creates a new car, does he send it out there without an Instruction Manual?

Me:  I see the point you are making MP.  Its a logical one I must admit.

MP:  So, if we have a Creator, has he left an Instruction Manual for us?  And if so, what is it? 

Me:  Knowing you MP,  you are going to tell me its the Bible.

MP: Yes, for sure. And I would like you to read Jehovah's assurance to us here at Isaiah 55:11.

MP:  Reads Isaiah 55:11, (though here I am going to quote verse 10 as well, as it puts it in context and is such a lovely and simple image)

For just as the rain and the snow pour down from heaven

And do not return there until they saturate the earth, making it produce and sprout,

Giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

So my word that goes out of my mouth will be.

It will not return to me without results,

But it will certainly accomplish whatever is my delight,

And it will have sure success in what I send it to do.

At this point MP explained these verses, pointing out that they assure us that God's original purpose for the earth has not changed, and it is sure to be fulfilled.  He himself assures us.

Me: Interesting how you link those two Scriptures together - the one in Genesis 1:28 and this from Isaiah - that would not have occurred to me.  I didn't even know them.  But I would love to be able to believe them to be sure they are the truth.

As we were working on the use of Visual Aids, my partner now told me she had been practising screen sharing and showed me the front cover of our new teaching brochure: "Enjoy Life Forever, an interactive Bible Course".  (You can find it on our website JW.org.)

I was very impressed with her computer skills, and the intriguing picture on the front of the Brochure and we agreed to go through it together.

Now re the missing tooth, I did try to remember to keep my mouth as closed as possible.  I don't remember hearing any screams of horror, or stampeding horses, so hopefully I did. And the second front temporary did not fall out in the middle of the talk - something I sometimes waste a bit of energy worrying about.

I had a Telephone Consultation with my GP this morning - and I am to have the other version of codeine - we should be able to put an order through this afternoon.  Hopefully it will stave off the moment I have to go back on Tramadol - a kind of artificial morphine - which he acknowledges will come as my spine continues to crumble.

Anyway, despite the pain, I think I appreciate the gift of life more and more every day. And I find everything more and more interesting.  So please please think about this.  Our Creator, Jehovah, has stated his purpose, and it is to give us, the damaged, dying children of Adam, back the life and perfection our first parents so tragically lost. He wants us to live forever in the restored earthly paradise.  Do have a look at the brochure on JW.org. and think seriously about it.