Not-at-homes

Not-at-homes ......a comment made at morning worship with the Bethel family by Brother Steven Lett of the Governing Body, regarding our work of  preaching and bearing witness to others.   Food for thought when we feel we are not accomplishing much in the field???    He made the point that we should not be discouraged by not-at-homes or those who are not interested in our message.  He mentioned that even if 80%  of our visits were not-at-homes, and 20% were not interested, we still have many reasons to be joyful.    Primarily, it is because we are pleasing Jehovah.  Also, we are fulfilling our responsibility to bear witness to others, thereby proving that Satan the Devil is a liar.   Additionally, we are helping the angels determine the condition of people's hearts.    He then gave this example of a typical day in field service. At the first door we go to, after we knock, a woman peeks through the window, sees us, but doesn't answer the door.  We mark it as a not at home, but the angels mark it as something else.  They can see the condition of the woman's heart.    At the second door we knock at, no one is home since the husband and wife are both at work; but we leave a tract.  That night when the couple gets home and sees the tract, a conversation begins.  Those Witnesses were by our house today.  They sure are persistent! The angels are watching and make note of it.    At the third door we knock at, no one answers.  This is because the woman at the first house called her friend at the third house and warned her that we were coming.  She says:  "Boy, those Witnesses sure are persistent. They just don't give up."   We mark it as a not at home, but the angels mark it as something else.    We knock at the fourth house and no one is home.  However, a lady across the street sees us.  The Witnesses had knocked at her door last week, but she didn't listen.  She says to herself, "Those Witnesses sure are persistent, but very well dressed.  Even their children are well behaved.  Maybe I should listen to them the next time they knock at my door."  Again, the angels make note of it.    We knock at the fifth house, and again, no one is home but a garbage truck passes by.  The driver tells his coworker, "There go those Witnesses again." The coworker asks, "Aren't they the ones who don't accept blood transfusions?"  "Yes", the driver replies but look at how well dressed and well behaved their children are.  I wish my children were the same?  The angels make a note of this.    So at just these five houses, there may have been five not-at-homes marked down, but look how many conditions and reactions of the heart the angels were able to observe.  Now, imagine how many of these same scenarios they observe being played out around the world each and every day.  How important it is that we be in the ministry to help our angelic brothers to see behind the response we receive at the doors. So may we never become discouraged if no one is home, because we are assisting the angels in seeing the people's heart condition.  We are also pleasing Jehovah and proving Satan a liar.