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Just felt moved to put this topic up so that people who have overcome the hurt caused to them by the RF can give advice on how they got through that journey.Please share (I will when I get time!)

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Not sure I've completely overcome the hurt caused by the shunning, and the indiffeence of those I had considered to be my brothers and sisters for so long. Theres a sadness still, after three years. But  I have forgiven them now,  I have to try harder to forgive the organisations  that instituted the system , and enforces it, though.  I still feel a need to speak out against them,and expose them as the un-holy  cults they are.

A few days after we left RF, after 18 + years, my wife and I decided to go along to our local Baptist church, mainly because of the good witness of some neighbours, who had been true Christian friends to us, through my battle with the big C. Visiting me in hospital, driving me to chemo sessions, and offering help and prayer. Things that our own church should have been taking care of, but were too busy at camp to even phone. It was the best thing we could have done, because it was like a revelation to us, the love and care  and concern, the warm welcome of people who had prayed for my recovery, and were delighted to see us there.  I arrived with  my closed RF mindset, prepared to find fault with everything, but from the time we were welcomed at the door, until we left, we felt Gods blessing . Everything we saw and heard confirmed this was a safe place to be , and that we had been led there by the Holy Spirit. I had a long chat with the over sight, about my expieriences with RF, and they assured me that this was a Spirit lead church, and their great desire was to encourage and build up all the gifts of the Spirit. We have thrown ourselves into all the many activities, Bible study classes, courses of various kinds, Churches together meetings (all denominations)and it has truly been a wonderful learning curve. I honestly believe we suffered no trauma over leaving RF because our minds were filled with new things, as the Lord revealed them to us

I am gently being encouraged to take on small responsibilities, worship leading, reading the word, prayer leading. etc. I volounteered to take on the grass cutting, and I am the church rep for a couple of worth while charities we support.. This has worked for me , I havent had time to mope or despair, and I feel closer to the Lord than for many years. My advice to anyone who leaves RF is to go and find a place where you feel the Spirit moving, you will know it when you find it, and get the joy of the Lord back in your life.

Blessings

To Old h and Set Free,

Old H, Great post my friend pretty much says it as it is.

Set Free, Like Old h said, My advice to anyone who leaves RF is to go and find a place where you feel the Spirit moving, you will know it when you find it, and get the joy of the Lord back in your life.

I guess for me after being in the revers for 30 plus years I knew what to expect and unfortunatly in the past had been a co worker in the gossip and slander of those that had left, much to my shame and i ask for forgivness to one and all for that.

My family where still in the rev fellowship when I left and i was very blessed that I was not cut of or ignored by them, one of my sisters still go and we have a great relationship over all, i guess it is the rest of the family  that have left and not going anywhere out of hurt and fear that there is nowhere else that I get angy and sad about. I also have a sister and her Husband that go to the Edge and love it praise God.

I have found that there are some who will talk and have fellowship with me/us and some who wont, sad I know but I leave it up to God pray for them. My God is a restorer of relationships and over the last 10 years I have found many of those that had been stolen from me have been slowly returning. It seems like ages sometimes however in the grand scheme of things in Gods eyes its just a blink in time.

Just need to learn to be patient and know the HE IS GOD.

Anyway SF be awsomly and wonderfully blessed and soaked in the awsome presence of our god

earth5