Some go after something that appears innocent at first, like Peter chasing the squirrel. This is what happened with Ada. She reports: “It was a custom for all of us workmates to go to lunch together at some nearby restaurant at noontime. So when they invited me to have a cup of coffee at the end of the day, it was not difficult to accept. I reasoned that I was not using time that should be used for meetings or for preaching. I did not realize that this might be a failure to observe the principle at 1 Corinthians 15:33.

“Soon, I was going horseback riding with them on Saturdays. Then I was going to the movies and the theater with them. That led to my missing some meetings. Finally, I was not going to any meetings nor sharing in the preaching work. When I realized what was happening, I was no longer associating with the organization.”

Ada explains what helped her to return to Jehovah: “At just the right moment, the sister who had conducted the study with me invited me to attend a circuit assembly with her. She was so sweet! And she did not reproach me at all! She showed so much love. A year had gone by since I attended my last meeting, but I had been meditating on the emptiness of the world and on the fact that, behind the glitter, there was only sadness, frustration, and immorality. So I decided to attend the assembly. Once at the theater where it was held, I went to the last row of seats and hid myself in a dark corner. I did not want the brothers to see me and ask questions.

“However, the program gave counsel that I badly needed. When it was over, I was determined not only to return to Jehovah’s people but also to devote myself to him with all my heart. The brothers received me with open arms and the ‘prodigal’ returned.” (Luke 15:11-24) All that happened some time ago, and Ada has now been in full-time service for more than 25 years.