My Day in Court

by Holly Moulder

Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.—Job 16:19

 

          Several months ago I was called to jury duty.  Not only was I selected to sit on a jury, but I was also chosen as jury foreman.  The case we heard had to do with a local college student, driving drunk, who hit and paralyzed a young father.  The driver had already been convicted of his crime and was serving his sentence; our jury’s task was to determine a monetary settlement for the victim and his family.  Millions and millions of dollars were at stake, and I was determined that, under my watch, justice would prevail.  Just like it did on Matlock.

 



 

          One by one, the parade of witnesses for the prosecution took the stand.  Expert upon expert, specialist upon specialist.  They READ page after page of medical jargon.  Not even the lawyers had the good sense to pull the plug.  The words droned on, becoming less like testimony and more like the hum of very bored, very tired bees.  My eyelids sunk to half-mast.  I had to keep nudging Juror #9, a waitress who worked the graveyard shift at a local Waffle House.  She was giving it her all, but it was a losing battle.  At least she didn’t snore. 

 

This was not at all like TV.  I watched Law and Order.  I thought I knew how this was supposed to go.  I yearned for a few words from Lennie Briscoe!   Where’s Jack McCoy when you need him?

 

And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.—Acts 1:9

 

Then it hit me:  We are called to be His witnesses!  I pondered that for a while as the courtroom parade dragged into its third hour.  I challenge you to ask yourself the same question I asked myself:  When we talk to unbelievers, do we sound like one of the specialists I heard in court that day, impressed with our religious knowledge and in love with the sound of our own voices?  Does our testimony put the world to sleep? 

 

Or, are we unprepared when the opportunity comes? Do we bolt like rabbits, unsure of our words and scared of standing up for Jesus? 

 

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.—Luke 12:35

I was in Mexico on a mission trip with a group of ‘first-timers’ from my home church.  We had gathered at a nursing home to lead a Sunday afternoon service.  The afternoon had gone as expected, the service flowed smoothly.  No bumps.  No mistakes.  We patted ourselves on our shoulders, and made a bee line for the van.  Not so fast, my witness, a voice whispered in my spiritual ear.

 

A tiny elderly lady in a wheelchair stopped us with a question.  “Before you go, could one of you tell us your testimony?  Would you share with us your story of how you came to know our Lord?”  Her warbly voice stopped us dead in our tracks.  Uh, oh.  This was our big moment.  Time to do the job, answer the call, share the Gospel.  And, collectively, we froze. 

 

Except for one faithful lady.  Doris has been a stalwart pillar of our congregation for decades.  A teacher to generations of Sunday Schoolers, she’s someone you want right there next to you when you’re caught up in spiritual warfare.  We’d been concerned that the trip might be too taxing for someone of her age.  Those Mexican roads can be rough, you know.  But Doris would not be dissuaded from coming with us.

 

And, as we learned that afternoon, Doris was on this trip for a reason.  She turned and faced that group of eager believers, delighted to share her story of faith.  There was no hesitation, no fillers—just fact.  When her opportunity came, Doris was ready.  She schooled us all that day.  I promised never to be caught unprepared again.

 

In Acts 26, Paul tells Agrippa about his encounter on the road to Damascus. Paul writes, “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

 

‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.’—Acts 26:15, 16

 

          That’s it.  Get dressed.  Get your lamp lit. Get up and stand on your feet.  Be ready.  Be His witness.

 

Father, thank you for allowing me to be your witness in this world.  Shine your light through me.  Help me always to stand up for you, to share your love with the lost.