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The Amish Voice 10
In Response to “Youth Leaving the Amish Culture”
—March Issue, Joe Keim
Dear Joe, before I was even
finished reading your article
about
Youth Leaving the
Amish Culture,
I thought of
writing about my youth.
Then in the end you actually
asked to hear from others
concerning this topic. That
motivated me even more!
I grew up in an Amish home
and I don’t remember my
parents ever telling me that
they loved me. And I never
got a hug or any praises that
I recall. I guess there may
have been times though, that
they expressed appreciation
for something my brothers,
sisters or I had did. But for
the most part it seemed we
were always being pushed
and yelled at.
Sometimes it seemed my
dad would “test” us to see if
he could catch us at lying.
He would watch us so close-
ly or dig so deep, if we lied
we had to be good liars!
Believe me, we teamed up
and tried to cover up for
each other. It seemed to me
sometimes that he drove us
to lie. We did not want to
get caught at something that
would upset him.
One day my sister dropped a
jelly dish in the kitchen
when dad was in the base-
ment. Of course it broke and
was a sticky mess. We were
just horrified that dad would
come upstairs and see it! So
my sisters and I helped each
other and cleaned it up the
quickest way possible. Dad
had been telling us that the
one who made this mess is
not normal and even men-
tioned it in her presence. We
did not want him to fly off
the handle and give her a
hard time.
We were often told how
stupid and worthless we
were. And my young mind
truly believed it. My mom
was more like the peace
maker of the family.
My late teen years were full
of fear and confusion. So
many of the church rules
didn’t make sense to me. I
couldn’t get any decent an-
swers. Sometimes I had the
nerve to question my mom
about certain things. Why
we had to do some things
this way or that way. She
would say it has always
been that way. Or she
thought we shouldn’t ques-
tion it. Another answer
would be that it is better for
us to suffer than us making
others suffer.
My dad and brothers fought
a lot. Five brothers left the
Amish, but the one who is
schizophrenic is back with
my dad again and trying to
live the Amish life. He has a
sad life (up and down like a
roller coaster).
When I was younger I was
very run down and often
sick. Things changed after I
started dating a very special
young man. My dad talked
about it that I’m looking
healthier. He made the com-
ment that it must be because
of that boy! Which is proba-
bly true, because of all of a
sudden I had something to
look forward to. The future
looked promising to me.
Getting married would mean
getting away from home!
By the time we wanted to
get married my two oldest
brothers had already left the
Amish. They both got mar-
ried in the Amish communi-
ty and left that life after
wards.
Well my parents were so
worried that we won’t fol-
low the Amish rules once
we’re married and maybe
leave too.
—Continued on page 11—
In the Old Testa-
ment we read about
a woman named
Jezebel who was
killed and eaten by
dogs. Truly, she was
one of the most wicked
and ungodly of all wom-
en the Bible ever recorded. Her name is men-
tioned 22 times in the Old and New Testament.
Recently, a friend of mine said: “the reason
she was eaten of dogs is because she wore stylish
clothes and painted her face.”
After reading about her in 1st and 2nd Kings, I
was not able to come up with the same conclusion
my friend came up with. For that reason, I would
like to ask our readers what their thoughts are.
Secondly, I would like to encourage you to
read the account of Jezebel and share your
thoughts via letter. If you allow me, I would glad-
ly publish your article in the next issue.
You can read about her in the following plac-
es: See 1st Kings 16:31 through 21:25. Her ac-
count concludes in 2nd Kings chapter 9.
I look forward to hearing from you. —Joe Keim
Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye
shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my bur-
den is light.
—Matthew 11:28-30
1. When you are feeling sad and blue,
and your troubles seem so big you just
can't see your way through...Come to
Me and rest.
2. When you've messed up, yet another
time, and you feel like you're reaching
the end of your line...Come to Me and
rest.
3. When it seems no one understands,
and you've tried to explain so often
you feel like burying your head in the
sand...Come to Me and Rest.
4. When things keep coming one after the
other, and you're beginning to feel like
a failure of a mother...Come to me and
rest.
5. When you need wisdom to deal with
relationship issues, and you try and
you try, but all you seem to do is use
all your tissues...Come to Me and rest!
6. When your husband is stubborn and
insensitive, instead of giving up and
getting ready to leave...Come to Me
and rest!
7. No problem is to big, no sorrow to
great, no mountain unmovable, noth-
ing can cause me to break...Come to
Me and rest!
Written by Lyn Miller
For You