Peaches and Buttons

I was with TWI for over 20 years. Early on my parents attempted deprogramming. I did escape after 3 weeks by the grace of God, but didn't have much to do with family after that. Lo and behold, when finally kicked out of TWI, my family graciously accepted me back, just glad I was out. In the meantime I missed the deaths of my grandparents, the growing up of my nieces and nephews, etc. We have a great relationship now...my Dad at 78 just underwent surgery for cancer. We looked it up on the net and it had a 92% chance of being successfully operated on. So for the time I was home, a couple weeks before his surgery, everyday I'd just touch my father and tell him, "92%, Dad." After surgery I was on the phone with him and told him I loved him, and he said it back, for the first time! I could still cry thinking about it. It's a two-sided thing. I missed alot shutting my family out for all those years, but I wouldn't have been able to be so open to hug them and tell them I love them without learning that in TWI. I would love to move closer to home and spend more time with them, and my whole family (6 sibs) would love it, also.

Belle wrote: I think it's got to be more than "stolen goods" and that's what makes it NOT minor. Perhaps disobedience and because God knew what that particular disobedience would lead to including possibly the spread of something nasty to others? For instance, the kids who are utterly reprehensible, doing terrible things like violent murder...often they started off with something "minor" such as cruelty to animals. I just accept that God knows more than I do and that's why something which seems minor (but only to me) is dealt harshly with (by God), and why other things which seem more major (i.e., David having Uriah killed) are not as harshly dealt with. Just my thoughts.