Transcripts: Our Meetings and Ministry

Transcript: We Can Do More With Reasonable Expectations
[In the ministry a curly haired sister walks with her friend]
Presenter: That was terrible. I could’ve answered that better.
Pamela: No, you did great, really.
[Her friend touches her arm]
Presenter: I’ve always been hard on myself.
[At a meeting]
strengthen our faith. Then if we, um, um
[She fumbles with her watchtower]
No, that’s all.
[Looking down she purses her lips]
Sometimes it made me so anxious
[A six am alarm on her phone]
that even the normal stuff I did
[She silences it, then puts it face down]
felt impossible.
[She rolls over in bed, then dawn turns today. Text message from her friend Pamela. 10:42am. Missed you at group. You OK? Now sitting in her living room across from two brothers]
Brother: So, what do you think brings this on?
Presenter: I don’t know, maybe— Maybe lately it’s because I’m thinking about SKE. If I can reach that goal, it’ll be fine.
Brother: I see. How about we read a scripture that might help?
Presenter: OK
[She picks up her Bible]
They didn’t discourage me from SKE. But they suggested that I try to manage the anxiety first.
[She follows along as one brother reads]
I was on it!
[Later she watches a video about missionaries]
If I focused on my goal
[She sits at a cluttered desk piled high with Insight books, bound volumes and other publications. Outside on her phone she plays the audio on an article about SKE]
and took care of myself, I’d get there.
[Putting on headphones she begins running fast. Back in bed she stares at the ceiling, she reaches for her phone]
Maybe it was a little too much focus.
[The screen shows 3:11am. At the Kingdom Hall she exits the library after meeting with the same two brothers]
Thank you, brothers.
[She pauses in the doorway her face is downcast. As she walks away Pamela notices her leaving. Now in the parking lot]
Pamela: So?
[She nods at Pamela]
Presenter: They’re right. SKE would be a lot for me right now.
Pamela: Mm. I’m sorry,
[Pamela rubs her shoulder]
but you’ll get there.
[Avoiding Pamela eyes she crosses her arms]
Presenter: I tried everything to fix this. What’s wrong with me?
Pamela: Nothing. Some things just take time.
Presenter: Yeah.
Pamela: Hey, I have Lilly’s study tomorrow morning. I could use your help.
Presenter: OK.
[As they walk Pamela takes her arm. At Lilly’s house]
Lilly: I want to get baptized, but I don’t know. You all do so much. I don’t think I could ever really be . . .
[Baby toys litter the floor. Dirty dishes left on the highchair. Across from Lilly the sister and Pamela sit primly wearing skirts]
Presenter: I think I understand. Can I show you something? Micah 6:8
[Lilly nods then opens her Bible]
would you read that?
Lilly: “He has told you, O man, what is good. “And what is Jehovah requiring of you? “Only to exercise justice, to cherish loyalty, and to walk in modesty with your God!”
Presenter: That last part, “walk in modesty,” that’s about knowing our limitations. So is Jehovah happy with what you can do, or does he want what you can’t do?
Lilly: He only expects what I can do.
[The curly haired sister smiles at Lilly then Pamela]
Presenter: Then why should we expect more? It turns out I gave Lilly the same advice the brothers gave me. It was my turn to apply it.
[She sits at her desk with a thoughtful look]
I had to be honest with myself. My limitation was my own high expectation.
[She bows her head]
I’d been doing it so long that there was no quick fix.
[At Lilly’s baptism]
It didn’t mean giving up on my goals, though.
[Amid happy onlookers the sister smiles brightly then looks at Pamela next to her]
I just tried to focus more on what I could do in the present,
[In a cafe the sister sits with Pamela and a Bible student]
like having more empathy for people who feel like I do
[As the student expresses herself the sister smiles warmly]
and showing them how much Jehovah values them.
[Now at the Kingdom Hall all three sit together during a meeting. The sister raises her hand]
We could tell a Bible student how we, um, how we overcame a challenge. That might . . . The truth is, I can actually do a lot for Jehovah
[The Bible student and the sister exchange smiles]
with reasonable expectations.
[The sister looks at the stage with a peaceful expression on her face]
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