Today I witnessed my court case being dismissed on the grounds of insufficient testimony since the citing officer did not show up and did not request an extension for the case. Without needing to present the evidence I’d collected to support my case, I was free to go with no fine to pay. Today may have been Friday 13th, but for me it was full of blessings.
The past few days have certainly been stressful as I prepared those court case documents, but ultimately God was so faithful in not only granting me peace, but also a favourable outcome. Before my case was dismissed, I witnessed another woman be sentenced for a different case where she had been found guilty beyond reasonable doubt and was fined.
Jacky accompanied me, and it was the first time either of us had been in a courtroom. He mentioned in the car after the case was dismissed, that it gave him a new perspective of and appreciation for what standing before a judge felt like.
One day, we will all face a Divine Judge who will judge our sins — but for those who are trusting in Jesus, while we will be found guilty beyond reasonable doubt like the first woman, the penalty of that fine has already been paid for us by Christ.
What stuck most in my mind was something different though. I had been one of four people to have their cases dismissed. I had been the last to be called up to receive the case dismissal form, and while everyone else had left in silence, I said, “Thank you” to the judge. But it was the judge’s response that really surprised me: she said, “Thank you” back.
When I first moved to America, it took some adjusting to accept that the American response to “Thank you” was “You’re welcome”, even if your ‘thank you’ should have been taken as a polite gesture rather than genuine gratitude since the other person hadn’t really done anything to deserve your thanks (“Please hold”, “Okay, thank you”, “You’re welcome” was one that really irked me initially). I’d been taught to perceive such blunt ‘You’re welcome’s as rude, but after a while I realised that they weren’t being rude: that’s just how they were brought up to respond.
Perhaps thanking back was her default response to people thanking her, but it really touched my heart that the judge said “Thank you” to my thanks.
Jacky and I have been praying pretty much throughout the entire day, so this one will be brief :)
Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much, once again. You are so deserving of all the gratitude in my heart. I pray that today I have been a good ambassador for You, Your Son and Your Spirit. May You and You alone be glorified.
Soli Deo gloria,