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Post by ronhall on Nov 21, 2010 9:02:50 GMT -5
I must be one wierd puppy. I spent 12 years in the work and enjoyed it. I left came back to Pa. and married the greatest lady We have had 35 years of a great marriage and have a wonderful daughter in law,also a special son. A little grandaughter that is the apple of our eye. Did I ever go through the dark night of the soul? No way,because I did what God showed me to do,and there is no regret in doing what God asks us to do. I don't view you as weird -- I see you as a confident, take charge type who is always in control of his own life and situation and finds himself the winner in the game of life. I was and am that way also in my natural and professional life and have been blessed naturally and professionally because of it. However, when dealing in the spiritual realm, I've found those natural inclinations that serve me so well naturally don't work well at all. The admonition to me has always been to put off the old man and put on the new man, lowly of mind and spirit -- very different from the person I actually am. When I've done this, I've been rewarded in a spiritual sense, for the most part. However there have been some who have taken excessive advantage of this in a natural sense, on occasion, imposing their will on their perception of my weakness. Just wondering if you have ever experienced something similar to this?
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Post by ts on Nov 21, 2010 10:17:34 GMT -5
My wife put it well. After being chewed out by a woman that she was HELPING, she was upset at first and then said to me, "I want to be the sort of person that a person like her can treat that way." I learned a lot from that. My wife was bearing the weakness of that woman. She is not what you would call "naturally blessed", my wife. But she has certainly given spiritually in her life....even to the spoiling of her goods. She has taught me loads about laying up treasure in heaven. Such a thing is looked down on and despised of men. To give everything and not keep back something for yourself is foolish in the eyes of men. To give all and rely on God to provide the next meal does not even make sense. But to see the meal arrive right on time does so much to strengthen ones faith. We look at our present state of poverty and we have peace with it. God always provides. We do not regret the things that we have given away. When we look back the only thing we regret is that we didn't give more. It is easy. We have been in such need that we know what it has done to our faith to pray and see that God has moved the heart of a person to give in order to answer the prayer. When that is the case, us and the people giving have an increase in faith and understanding. We have had occasion to respond in kind when it was our season to have and give of what we have.
Yes, ronhall, there have been many people who have taken advantage of us in our low estate. There have been many who have despised us. On the other hand, there have been some who have seen and appreciated the spirit that we have.
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Post by Alan Vandermyden on Nov 21, 2010 11:18:33 GMT -5
Though I certainly wouldn't discount another person's experience, I found much reassurance from God, and I received only kindness from the friends and workers. What I found to be so different (aside from the obvious financial side of things) was that my relationship with everyone - friends and workers - was changed. That's not to say that I was enjoying some kind of "power trip" that I missed, but things were just different, probably a bit like when someone goes through a divorce or death of a loved one, with that person and everyone around him or her being unsure of the new "shape" of their particular friendship or relationship.
Again, I emphasize that I only speak for the way in which I experienced things, and I cannot criticize the way in which anyone else experienced their departure from the work. We all have different understandings about our place, different experiences, with different people and in different places and times. I appreciate learning how others experience things, and I do take their perspectives seriously, even though they may be quite the opposite of my views. Seems like when we do this, we eventually find we have a lot more commonality than we initially thought . . .
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Post by Alan Vandermyden on Nov 21, 2010 11:34:29 GMT -5
I remember one time going to a Gospel meeting and "hearing" God speak to my heart again, this was after a few months since I left the work. When you leave, you don't know where you fit in..... Being in the work and that fellowship was so much a part of my life for almost 2 decades. I was single.....schooling, working, trying to get it all together and so very lonely. I was asked from time to time from the older brother in the state if I needed any financial help. Only one time did I say I did. The workers in the field at that time were very supportive. The first time that I went to preps they met me in the yard and cried with me as I faced being back to a place I loved so much. You've expressed a lot of what I felt, DaisyCarlee . . . thanks for sharing it. Sorry, but I somehow missed your posting back in September. I've been watching here, even though not saying much!
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Post by ts on Nov 21, 2010 18:43:16 GMT -5
I loved what I was doing before I was in the work. I loved the ideal of the work but I was sad that I related differently to the friends in the work than before. When I left, I was sad that I related to the workers differently than before. I did like being friends with the friends and that was discouraged by the workers. I liked being friends with the workers but that is not quite the same after you leave the work. It really makes no sense that there are such social distinctions between workers and friends. I am glad that I got to see both sides of it. The division does tend to cause a power trip in the workers.
Now that the dust has settled a bit over the past few years, I have found that I am more able to minister in a more subtle and more effective way than when in "the work". I would not be surprised that being poor and totally reliant on God's provision has helped see things from Jesus' perspective while He walked on earth. I can relate to most anyone genuinely as a servant. The workers do rely on the friends to provide for them. it is a sure thing. One wonders what "faith" means in the work. Faith to keep celibate?
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Post by Alan Vandermyden on Nov 21, 2010 22:34:02 GMT -5
I appreciate your perspective on the various relationships before, during, and after your time in the work, ts. I have to say I agree.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2010 10:42:57 GMT -5
Were those cases of being asked to leave? Otherwise, why did they go if it wasn't God's will? Yes, Emy, must it be spelt out? Being demoted from the work is being dismissed, dumped, discarded, rejected, with all the emotional turmoil that it entails. Then when you are at your lowest ebb, after the darkness comes the radiant peace, if you can still trust and wait............... Sometimes you can sometimes you can't. If you left because you felt that was the right thing to do, that would be one thing...and even then I'm sure there would be tugs to the heart... but to be removed involuntarily from something so deeply involved as ministering to others would be an extraordinarily hard experience to recover from I would imagine.
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Post by ts on Nov 25, 2010 12:03:31 GMT -5
Yes, Emy, must it be spelt out? Being demoted from the work is being dismissed, dumped, discarded, rejected, with all the emotional turmoil that it entails. Then when you are at your lowest ebb, after the darkness comes the radiant peace, if you can still trust and wait............... Sometimes you can sometimes you can't. If you left because you felt that was the right thing to do, that would be one thing...and even then I'm sure there would be tugs to the heart... but to be removed involuntarily from something so deeply involved as ministering to others would be an extraordinarily hard experience to recover from I would imagine. Leaving "voluntarily" because of inability to reconcile the corruption and abuse in the work is the same as being sent home involuntarily. Yes, it does leave a heart in turmoil. However there is a different realization that can come. The pharisees represented "the ministry". Did Jesus "leave the work" when He was pointing out the discrepancies between what the pharisees said and what they did? Did Paul "leave the ministry" when he identified himself with the pharisees and the hope of the resurrection? NO. The work is God's work. The calling to speak the truth is God's calling and God's gifts are irrevocable. The pharisees made an effort to make "outsiders" of people to keep their testimonies of Jesus' power in their lives from turning people away from their teachings. The workers are doing the same. The pharisees' work against Jesus (eventually killing Him) only increased the message and power of the gospel. I expect that the same is happening in our day and age. The workers excommunicating folks for making the workers accountable and for not believing that the workers are the only true preachers etc will only increase the work of the gospel of truth.
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