Hi Juditha-
If I interpret correctly, your friends and neighbors are called upon to show off their psychic skills, and you and Deanna are not, perhaps because of the prejudices of the church members. This seems to echo the words "thick and stupid", that Mom dumped on you, and they echo the words in a way that makes it seem like you are again being judged. And, no doubt, you are.
However, when anyone makes a judgement, it applies first to themselves. Recall, "Judge not that ye be not judged, for as ye judge, so shall ye be judged." So, these people are demonstrating to you what happens when people get prejudicial and uptight. This has nothing to do with your psychic abilities - which not only seem to be pretty good, but you're growing at a pretty rapid clip.
Given the fact that all these rejections actually have nothing to do with you or Deanna, but arise from the faulty judgement of the critics in the church, I suggest that you ignore it.
Our minds do not work as a single unit with the same skill levels throughout. For example, the idea that a person who is slow in figuring out a problem in math is also stupid as a musician is obviously nonsense. There are lots of good musicians who can't balance a check book, and lots of mathematicians who couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.
We have at least a half dozen individual skills, and in each skill area we may be good, or maybe not so hot. Some skills are even highly particular - for example in my math skills, I have a terrible time with calculus, I started the course 5 times before I got the idea and could pass it, but geometry is easy for me. The social awareness of the people in your church seems to be pretty stupid, otherwise they'd be able to recognize your competency - unless they're worried that you might be better than them.
- But they have given you a good course in psychic development, which is a high level of function in that area. So it's all a mixed bag.
Since there is no way to generalize, my suggestion is also to accept that you are being drawn to your calling, and that it will occasionally be bumpy, and occasionally easy. What will make certain that you arrive at the goal is not the praise of the public as you perform, but the goodness of your heart, your faith that God has a plan for you, and your willingness to keep on going.
As you go past each of these trials, the problem loses the ability to act as a stumbling block, and as you overcome it, it starts to look like a stepping stone. And that is how we handle life anyway.
Since you are evidently a good Christian, think how the early disciples were shunned, and how the early members of the church not only were not allowed to show off their skills, but were fed to the lions in the Coliseum. You are in good company! Stick with it!
PUL
d