Knock, Knock!!

The air mattress was uncomfortable but I wasn't about to get up.

Judah's bark startled me out of my lull. I frowned, eyes still closed. Butter's joined in about a split second later. They ran together into the hall to the front door. I shot up, glasses crooked, hair more dishelved than usual. *Knock Knock*

I sighed and struggled to gain balance to lift myself from the ground. I shooed the dogs and put my eye to the peep hole. Jehovah's Witnesses.

I wasn't dressed appropriately and my one armed glasses were barely staying on my face. I ran to my room, threw on some pants and grabbed another shirt to put on. Once outside, I poked my head out to let them know I was home. I remembered my last JW encounter. I didn't go into much detail about it but I really regretted not invited the green witness to come back to talk to me. I felt compelled to make the invitation this time.

A fresh faced, brown girl with neatly curled, relaxed hair beamed.

"I'm sorry, we heard the dogs and we did see the car but we didn't know if anyone was home."

"Oh, it's no problem."

"We're Bible students and we're hear to share God's word with you if you have a few moments."

Just as she completed the last part of her statement, an older woman walked up next to her. It was the JW who got upset with me last time.

"Sure," I said to Fresh Faced.

Directing my attention to the older woman, I said, "Do you remember me? You've been here before?"

Old JW tilted her graying head, held the screen door open and with a chuckle, replied, "I'm sure I have."

I smiled back politely.

"Yes...you got upset with me and left. You were with someone else, but it was definitely you."

"Upset?? I don't remember that but I'm sorry. I don't know why that would have happened."

"Well I already go to a church up the road...the one across from Mill Creek Elementary School. I wanted to know why I should stop believing what I believe and start believing what you believe."

"Well, it's not what I believe. It's God's Word. We don't force anything on anyone."

She pulled out two Awake magazines and showed them to me.

"Have you ever read any of our literature?"

"Yes ma'am. I have."

"Well, we wanted to talk to you about God's kingdom this morning. Have you evere heard of God's kingdom?"

"Yes ma'am. A man talked to me about it a while back."

"What did he tell you?"

"I don't remember exactly."

She pulled her New World Translation from under her arm and flipped to a passage in Daniel. She read the passage.

"See this is talking about God's kingdom. His government. You've heard of man's government? Well God has a government too. Man's government will fade away. God's government won't. Do you believe that?"

"Oh yes, I definitely believe that. The whole world will pass away. Just like 1 John 2:15 says, '...all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the foolish pride of life, and the world is passing away, and the lust of it....'

"God's word doesn't say that," she said as she flipped to another verse.

I glanced at Fresh Faced quickly. She was flipping to 1 John!!

I turned my attention back to Old JW.

"Yes ma'am. 1 John does say that. The world is passing away."

She ignored me and began reading another verse pertaining to the earth.

"See, this says that the earth will not pass away. The earth has always been here. Even when the flood came the earth remained."

"Yes ma'am but 1 John does say that."

I look at Fresh Faced who's made it to 1 John.

"I see you have your Bible opened to 1 John 2:15. Doesn't it say "the world is passing away?"

She nodded affrimatively.

"'But he who does the will of God abides forever,' right?"

She nodded again.

Old JW jumped in. "What do you mean by 'world?'

"I mean the world system that would try to tempt and conform you to its ways. You know like in Romans 12:1-2 when we are warned not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds...."

I looked at Fresh Faced. Her smile had faded into concern but she said, "Uh huh...yes..." letting me know that she was familiar with the Romans passage.

Old JW was ready to end the visit. "Can we come back and talk to you again?"

"Sure. When can you come? Can you come back in the mornings?"

"We can come back whenever you want."

"Sure! You should know though that there are some things I'm just never going to agree with you on."

"Like what things?"

"Well...first...Jesus is God."

"Yes, yes...Jesus is a god."

"No ma'am. Jesus is God. And God is triune. Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

"No, no...we don't believe that. Well...you seem like you already know everything about the Bible. We like to talk to people who want to learn."

Here we go again. She said the same thing to me the time before.

"That's exactly what you said to me last time. Only it was more rude. I know you've apologized, but this is what happened. You didn't want to talk to me after I tried to show you something in the Bible..."

I looked at Fresh Faced and began to speak. "She is not going to come back here but you are welcome here. You're new. I can tell..."

Fresh Faced interrupted. "No...I'm baptized!"

"You may be baptized but you're still newer than her. She was here last time. You can come back anytime and I'll show you from the Bible what I'm talking about. I'll tell you about the gospel of Jesus Christ."

I restated my address and gave her other information about my work hours.

Old JW, let the screen door close. I continued as the pump caught the door.

"You can come back here. I'm here in the mornings. We can talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ. This...what you're involved in is works righteousness..."

Fresh Faced held her gaze...her eyes had become glassy and heavy with doubt.

"I'm being serious. Come back. Read 1 Corinthians 15 and Galatians 1."

She nodded yes and walked away to her car with Old JW.

And it was finished.

I pray she actually DOES come back. If not, maybe a seed was planted. I hate to see anyone going through a crisis of faith but in this case it's necessary. She probably won't come back but she might remember those verses. Gotta get ready for work.

Eh...

Blah blah blah on a Tuesday night

1. Reading The Pilgrim's Progress and The Modern Tongues Movement.
2. Sweetheart Circle + a quilt + warm spring afternoon + glass of moscato + good company, would be time well spent.
3. Mint Condition concert is going down the weekend after next. How on EARTH did I miss the fact that it's Easter weekend. GRRrrrrr.
4. "You are not Pinocchio, you cannot be a real boy". Dopest poem from P4CM so far...Sin is sin and Christ died for all of it. That's good news.
5. Jehovah-Yireh, right?
6. Next thing on the "101 Things" list is bye bye to Facebook and other internet hotspots. Begins April 1.
7. I think she's got it...
8. Read this walking about out of Warren's class the other day: "People might not always believe what you say but, they will always believe what you do." WOOP!
9. Heard a good sermon on the role of structure in the life of the Christian. I'll post it when it gets posted (if I remember)

Blah.

The Part Time Housewife

A friend shared this blog post with me. I must say that I agree with the woman's thoughts on working outside the home. A few years ago, when asked to discuss my five year plan, I responded "In five year, I hope to be a wife and mother."

A few years ago, when asked to discuss my five year plan, I responded "In five year, I hope to be a wife and mother." I remember actually getting into arguments with people who felt staying at home was a waste of time and the mark of a lazy woman. I don’t know when it became LAZY for a woman to keep the home and watch her own children rather than hiring someone else to do it, but that is a completely different story for a completely different blog post.

I did and DO enjoy my job, but the plan was to get a job, go back to graduate school, work a little more to give me something to do until my Prince Charming came along. Thankfully, my Prince Charming came along and I praise God for him, however, as I face the possibility of actually having to “put my money where my mouth is” I’m realizing that being SAHM may not be an immediate option for us.

In a different blog post on the same topic she says:

In the land of idealistic egalitarianism, both spouses work the same number of hours and spend the same amount of time on childcare and household chores. But in real life, it rarely works.

I almost have to agree with this. I'm not a mother yet, but juggling my household responsibilities with my work responsibilities is a bit tiring. My hours make much of what I'm able to do, possible. Working a regular 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. would drive me crazy, as I would still need to manage things at home. My typical mornings during the week involve washing and folding clothes, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning our bedroom and bathroom, taking care of the dogs, vacuuming, cleaning windows, running errands, paying bills, budgeting and everything in between. I stop around 11:30 a.m. to make lunch (and sometimes dinner for Warren) and to get myself ready for work. I don't mind doing all these things because I like Warren to come home to a clean and orderly house. I'm a part time housewife and it's hard. I have to admit though that the possibility of throwing a baby into this rotation is frightening. I really don't know how people do it.

I'm all over the place, I want to go back to school, but I ultimately want to stay home. I want us to be able to afford a home and children without struggling, but then I know Warren isn't about to be some false preacher doing the money cometh dance, duping people out of their money in the name of "Gawd," so realistically we're not going to be loaded. I guess I somehow believe that if I go back to school everything will be "okay" but honestly from an emotional and spiritual sense, it could be worse in the long run. The idol of control rears his ugly head again....GRRRR.

A friend and new mother had this as her Facebook status message last week

Trying to be a career woman, mother , and wife feels difficult. I miss my baby, but I definitely need the moola.

I don't want to be her. I don't want to experience this. More motherhood vs. career tension for ya on a Monday night.