I sat in as Clergy with a new friend that invited me to be with her during a ruling before the Judge this week. As I walked into the courtroom, I noticed a sign on the door, 'no food or drink allowed in the courtroom'. No problem. I'm not that type of person that always needs something to drink in my hand. I'm good. So I continued.
Now, by sheer grace, I've not known what it's like to half to appear before a Judge. Not that I didn't break the law, I was just never caught. Well, I was caught once and thrown in jail when I was 21, spent 4 days in jail and had to confront a real big girl about her radio, but the whole thing was dropped and besides that writing is for another day!
This new friend wants to sit at the front of the room, near all those that appear to be 'on the other side'. She knows them, and it must bring her comfort to be near them. So, okay, let's sit up front.
As the morning rolled on, of course I began to notice people. I'm a people watcher and an observer. I used to judge people in a bad way, but I'm not that mean anymore, thank you Lord. But having that habit of watching, I try to figure out what their conversations are with their neighbor they came with. I try to figure out if they are lonely. I like to spot those in a crowd and pray for them. I know those are very close to God's heart.
As the names of those appearing that day began to be called, an intersting young man stood up and came before the Judge. I dont care how nice your khakis are, tatooed flames coming up out of your shirt is surely to get you a label. A rebel? Is he really a rebel?
Isn't there a rebel in us all? Arent' there times when God requires something of us....we're just not quite ready to do? Or give up? Or NOT DO? Hmmmmm..... the rebel.
As I sat there contemplating the whole idea of the rebel, it hit me, the whole room was created for rebels. Our law system needed a way to convey "hey, you need to stay within these boundaries to live peaceably with all men" and so a court system was created. How sad we all cant just have our neighbors best interest at heart and not have a need for such a system. However, that's not reality.
As I began to watch 'the one's in control', I spotted a woman that had fixed her hair in the 'hair helmet' style and had a wad of gum she just harshly worked over in her jaw. I leaned over, asking my new friend what position she held. Parol Officer for the hard core was her answer. I leaned back in place. Wow, a woman in that position. Typically they have some big, heavy, tall Guy wearing a real tight shirt busting at the buttons for that position. Hmm. She must be somethin. But that gum....gosh she comps so hard.
As the morning wore on, and hundreds of 98.6 degree bodies in that room, it got warmer. The Prosecuting Attorney removed his suit jacket and got a chair and raised himself to click on the overhead ceiling fan. Oh that will feel better. Yeah, get some air circula........wait. what's going on? There's something not right here. In this huge county courthouse room, there are only two ceiling fans to move the air around. Hmm. I say Hmm alot when I'm observing. Anyway, back to my observations. There are only two ceiling fans. Only two ceiling fans in that whole big room, and I notice those two fans are only on the side of the courtroom that house 'those in control'. That didn't feel right. That didn't feel right at all. I wonder why that was? I dont want to judge here right? Hmm, so I'll just jot that in my mental tablet and move on.
Then time wore on and I notice Miss Hardcore Parole Officer still chomping away at her wad of gum. Hard too. Bless her heart, that had to hurt. Surely she'll get all the sweet or mint out of it soon and spit in.....where?.....surely not on the floor, that wouldn't be becoming for a woman!
Boy I got bored. I started noticing all the different fashion trends in the room. Some just denim. Some wore their hair in ponytails or buzzed or, hey check him out he has a bald spot right in the back and it seems he thinks he can cover it up with combing his hair over it. No sir, um, sir? You're not covering it up. Sorry sir. Em, no.....he wasn't covering it up. I could see it.....FOCUS Cindy. My new friends name will be called soon. I'm sure.
Hard chomping still going on!
Surely there's a water fountain around here. I know that sign said no drinks in here, but what if you need a drink. All of a sudden all these Route 44 cups from Sonic started coming into focus. Yeah, Strawberry limeaid where there's strawberry at the bottom when you're done. That sounds really good right now. Sonic ice is really good to chomp......hey, all those Route 44 Sonic cups aren't supposed to be in here. There's a sign on the door. Hey.....Oh.....'those in control' must not have the sign on the door where they come in. Looks like they all ran to Sonic on their way to court this morning. They must have known. Yeah, they know you get thirsty in here, and because you dont know when you'll have to go before the Judge, you dont leave. Oh. I didnt' know that. Hmm. Yeah, I'm observing.
I begin to watch as a Woman my age, upper 40's and her Mother come sit on the empty front row. I know it's her Mother because they look just alike, but her Mother is a wrinkled version of her. And the daughter had really really long hair all wrapped up and dangling from the back of her head. She wasn't wearing her teeth today. It's Arkansas, you can chose to wear your teeth or choose NOT to wear your teeth. Hmmmm, seems like she'd wear 'em on a day as important as this. She's upset too, very upset. Her Mother puts her arm around her shoulders and pulls her to her. Boy they are really close. She buries her head in her Mothers chest. She's wimpering. Her Mother is looking around with her eyebrows together in worry. It looks like she's had that look for a while, like it fits real well. Hmmmm..... The Mother gets up and goes to the front to talk to the public defender. The daughter sits up. Then the daughter gets up. She walks up to her Mother and grabs her by the arm to bring her back to the seat. Well, look at that. She's acting like she's about 8 years old. That's exactly what age she's acting, pulling her Mother by the arm back to the seat. She looks around like she's embarrassed. But she whispers to her telling her something her Mother doesn't want to hear. Wow, that's interesting. Her Mother is scolding her now.....like she's 8 years old. The Mother gets up and returns to the public defender, then begins walking toward the Judge. The daughter is devistated. She has a wide eyed look in her face and gets up and tries to return her Mother to her seat. The Judge is looking through paperwork and doesn't notice a thing. I'm watching all this. Apparantly this Woman has comitted a serious crime because the Mother is adamant about talking to someone. But of course we all know you dont wait until court to do that talking. By then shouldn't you have most things you're going to say pretty well nailed down? Suddenly the Woman's name is called. Due to the sound system being none of our business, I cannot hear anything said. And then I see the Woman's head hang down. She must not have heard what she wanted to hear. She turns and looks at her Mother with tears in her eyes. Her Mother stands up, walks up to her at the stand. The daughter gets loud telling her to go sit down. 'Go sit down Momma. Go sit down'. Beyond the juvenile scene of it all it was a bit sad. The Woman had committed some crime she was going to have to face and the Mother had to watch it all play out. Then he said it. The Judge said she had to go straight to jail. The Woman looked back at her Mother with tears streaming down her face and I saw her mouth the words ' i love you' and then look down then back at the Officer that had come for her. She was escorted out.
Many of us face things we've done and we have a sinking feeling in the bottom of our stomach, but that's when it hits us the heaviest. We've hurt others in the process. This courtroom was filled with family members of those that had committed crimes, those rebels, those never seeing the effects on their families. Never. I would like to record it all and play it for them once they've been placed somewhere that light cant hit them. That's usually when they begin to see the truth. They see that all this is serious and the Law of the land is in place to keep boundaries.
If you have found yourself in a hard place, a tender place, a rock and a hard place, God cares for you. He sees you right where you're at. He's so selfless that He's willing to take you in, take you back, take care of you. You just have to agree with Him that the rebel in you has caused nothing for you ..... but trouble!
If you have something to share.....let me know!
I begin to watch as a Woman my age, upper 40's and her Mother come sit on the empty front row. I know it's her Mother because they look just alike, but her Mother is a wrinkled version of her. And the daughter had really really long hair all wrapped up and dangling from the back of her head. She wasn't wearing her teeth today. It's Arkansas, you can chose to wear your teeth or choose NOT to wear your teeth. Hmmmm, seems like she'd wear 'em on a day as important as this. She's upset too, very upset. Her Mother puts her arm around her shoulders and pulls her to her. Boy they are really close. She buries her head in her Mothers chest. She's wimpering. Her Mother is looking around with her eyebrows together in worry. It looks like she's had that look for a while, like it fits real well. Hmmmm..... The Mother gets up and goes to the front to talk to the public defender. The daughter sits up. Then the daughter gets up. She walks up to her Mother and grabs her by the arm to bring her back to the seat. Well, look at that. She's acting like she's about 8 years old. That's exactly what age she's acting, pulling her Mother by the arm back to the seat. She looks around like she's embarrassed. But she whispers to her telling her something her Mother doesn't want to hear. Wow, that's interesting. Her Mother is scolding her now.....like she's 8 years old. The Mother gets up and returns to the public defender, then begins walking toward the Judge. The daughter is devistated. She has a wide eyed look in her face and gets up and tries to return her Mother to her seat. The Judge is looking through paperwork and doesn't notice a thing. I'm watching all this. Apparantly this Woman has comitted a serious crime because the Mother is adamant about talking to someone. But of course we all know you dont wait until court to do that talking. By then shouldn't you have most things you're going to say pretty well nailed down? Suddenly the Woman's name is called. Due to the sound system being none of our business, I cannot hear anything said. And then I see the Woman's head hang down. She must not have heard what she wanted to hear. She turns and looks at her Mother with tears in her eyes. Her Mother stands up, walks up to her at the stand. The daughter gets loud telling her to go sit down. 'Go sit down Momma. Go sit down'. Beyond the juvenile scene of it all it was a bit sad. The Woman had committed some crime she was going to have to face and the Mother had to watch it all play out. Then he said it. The Judge said she had to go straight to jail. The Woman looked back at her Mother with tears streaming down her face and I saw her mouth the words ' i love you' and then look down then back at the Officer that had come for her. She was escorted out.
Many of us face things we've done and we have a sinking feeling in the bottom of our stomach, but that's when it hits us the heaviest. We've hurt others in the process. This courtroom was filled with family members of those that had committed crimes, those rebels, those never seeing the effects on their families. Never. I would like to record it all and play it for them once they've been placed somewhere that light cant hit them. That's usually when they begin to see the truth. They see that all this is serious and the Law of the land is in place to keep boundaries.
If you have found yourself in a hard place, a tender place, a rock and a hard place, God cares for you. He sees you right where you're at. He's so selfless that He's willing to take you in, take you back, take care of you. You just have to agree with Him that the rebel in you has caused nothing for you ..... but trouble!
If you have something to share.....let me know!
