Battling morning traffic headed toward downtown I asked God to give me a good reason for doing this even though I knew I could be exempt. Jury Duty. There is a mixed emotion when it comes to this civil duty. The fact that I got summoned to the main Harris County Court was enticing. What if I could get a real interesting case? Granted, I most likely wouldn’t be picked because I’m probably too ‘conservative’ for most…or is it we say we are Catholic and they let you go? 😉
I didn’t think twice about going until late last night. Suddenly I had a list of things that needed to get done and I realized that IF I did happen to get picked for a ‘good’ case that it would mean more than the one day I set aside to serve.
Which left me praying to God that the 45 minute trip to the courthouse wouldn’t be futile. Once in the jury room big screens were everywhere flashing the reasons for exemption. “I can still get out of this?” I thought and my heart started to speed up. On the screen scrolled the excuse ‘If you have children under the age of 12 and you do not work.’ Well, that is me. I mean, granted I work more than people that make money but technically since I really don’t bring in much of an income I don’t ‘work’. 😉 7:45am They came in and announced over the intercom that we could go to the jury window and still give our reason for exemption. “What is this?” I thought. “Are they just wanting us to leave?”
7:53am They were about to come in and take my form and then I would be stuck. I was torn between my curiousity of what cases waited trial vs. the work that needed to be done at home (let alone picking my kids up from school). Then across the screen came the rules for getting your parking validated. “If you are here for multiple days you will not use the kiosk to pay your parking fee.” Multiple days…there it was. The reminder that IF I did get anything interesting I would need to clear my schedule for multiple days. I would miss out on interviews. Miss out on the kids ‘fun day’. I would leave my husband with work he doesn’t need to take on at this time.
I quickly did a mental check of what my true reasoning was behind the need to be picked for jury duty. It was not to be diligent to my duty as a citizen. It was a deeper, more selfish hope that I would be picked to be on a case that dealt with a rape case. I wanted to sit on the side of the courtroom that had the power to bring justice and vindication to a victim.
7:58 I looked at the form I filled out and saw the X where I answered ‘yes’ to the question, “Have you ever been involved in a criminal case?”. I sighed. I wouldn’t be picked even if I wanted to be.
I got up and went to the juror window to turn in my form. “I have a son that is 11. I need to take the exemption for having young children,” I said to the woman behind the plexy glass. She smiled and looked at my form. “Hey, what book did you write?” I looked at her funny and then remembered I put ‘author/speaker’ as my occupation.
“EXPOSED: Inexcusable Me…Irreplaceable Him,” I said.
“What?” she leaned in closer to the plexy glass and the circle that was cut out in the middle. I had to stand on the tips of my toes to get my mouth near the circle and I said louder, “EXPOSED: Inexcusable Me…Irreplaceable Him!”
“Oh? What is it about?” she asked.
Without missing a beat, I felt as if I yelled but it was more just in a loud voice, “I’m a rape survivor and it’s a story about my journey of healing.”
Her smile widened. “Well isn’t that something,” she said. “Isn’t it wonderful how God can take something so awful and turn it into good like your book that is probably helping other people? Where can I get it? I want to buy it and then pass it along.”
Stunned from this sudden and quick exchange I reached into my purse to grab a card (an old card at that, silently wishing I had new ones with the new cover and ministry information on there…mental check – add that to the list!) and I handed it to her.
“Thank you,” she said and her smile beamed through the plexy glass that separated us warming my heart and justifying my 45 minute drive.
God gave me a reason. 🙂
8:35am and I was already home. No traffic and God had already shown up in my day. What a blessing.
Blessings
Shannon
