In Reply to: Farmer as a mother posted by lydia on November 19, 2004 at 13:37:26:
Lydia, do you always know what's good for your kids?
At every instance of life???More than God??I believe, you're a woman with t r u s t in God...so that's all I meant...often we don't understand the ways of the Lord, so we argue with Him or with people, because we think this & that is right.I'd prefer, if all people left TF overnight.I am sure
Acheick presented lots of evidence to help her loved ones see the light...however I didn't see it for very long either...my parents "drove me nuts" & I them...I wished, they had had better arguments at that time...but they didn't.I think it's very hard to let people go.If you like the terms selfcentered, selfrighteous, pushy better, well that's alright with me, they are exchangeable & you probably know, how many people/kids get spoiled, by "wellmeaning" parents, not to speak of
the horrors of TF...so kids & people suffer because of our sins, we effect each other & no one can so far tell me, that he/ she is smarter than God & understands what everybody needs.Life is often a big mystery and may be you're right: when e.g.you want to save someone, then that's not selfish,...however with saving someone out of TF it's quite a subtle thing...either we have the right arguments, the better Bibleinterpretations,
better lifestyle, morals or we don't...in the end it gotta be the Lord.
But I do uphold the notion, that people, parents & children for that matter can be selfish & selfcentered...if the kids in TF have the wrong attitudes, which should be plausible from the way TF is, then you can clobber them with the Bible, all you want,if their time hasn't yet come...although I'd like to think, that some very good Biblelessons should do some groundwork...
Seriously, I know personally a good many non-Exer parents, who chose something for their kids...education, activities, arts etc. because they think it will benefit them & may be the child does come around later in life saying mother/ father, you were right...but before that, some choose to bunk all those activities & languages, cause it's often not what the child needs & wants, but rather a projection of the parents.
(A friend of mine sent his son on a highschool, em phasizing music & fine arts...he left his piano-learning...rather being fond of computers...
just an example of very, very many...besides, how can you read people's minds, playing the prophet etc.)
Anyway, I just seemed to remember some of the accounts A. gave of visitations of their loved ones still in TF..they seemed tense the meetings & it was always - sad to say - very tense, when I visited my parents.I feel bad for their grievances
I caused them, they have wept lots & I would too over my kids...but there is already the mistake, they are not my kids:God gave them to me & when they are adults, age of real accountability, they are even more His children & His "job" & to me it seems, sometimes we read the clock wrong, when class should be finished...just an opinion.