Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Psalm 89:14
As I sat in the juror box listening to endless, and totally boring, testimony of an apparent burglary, I watched the defendant. He was a young man. He got mixed up in the wrong crowd. He was broken. One thought kept revisiting me. He needs grace.
By the end of the two days God showed me something else pretty important. I need to go where he sends me… with less resistance.
You see, I was a little surprised that I didn’t get excused from jury duty. I mean I tried. Really I did. A 20 year-old new mom sitting behind me said, “I just had a baby and my back hurts.” They excused her on the spot. Yet the 38 year-old pregnant mother of 7 should be perfectly comfortable in her chair for the next two days. That should have been my clue that God was up to something. But I’m not really that quick.
The testimony went on the next two days. The defendant’s drug addiction was apparent and admitted. When deliberation started we all agreed that we couldn’t convict him of the crime he was charged with but that he did have a drug problem.
The verdict was read. His relief was tangible. His family cried. I became more convicted that, while innocent of this crime, he needed help.
Although I served as Juror #9, my heart was still beating for Christ. My mind was turning. I decided that I would wait for his family when court was dismissed. The next moments were nothing short of God appointed.
Three or four women from his family walked out of the front doors of the court room as I stood by the steps. I locked eyes with one woman and smiled. She said, “I could just kiss you.” I just hugged her. She said, “I’m his mom.” How powerful those words are. I am his mom. With those words the pain, the worry and the suffering didn’t need to be spoken. She is his mom. I knew what the past few months put her through.
I told her that my husband and I minister to a small church in town and have helped a number of people begin their journey to recovery. We’d be honored to help him. I passed on our phone number. She cried more and said, “You are my angel today.”
I don’t know if he’s ready for recovery. I don’t know if he’s ready for Jesus. But Jesus wanted him to know that He is ready for him. I may not be an angel, but in that moment I was able to deliver a message from the Savior.
Grace is his. Salvation is near. An abundant life is waiting.
