So, I recently received a notice in the mail. No, it was not my reminder that I have a dental appointment coming up. Neither was it a rate increase from an insurance company or that I won a million dollars. It was better than that. It was a summons for jury duty. I have never received a jury duty summons; my wife, however, has served three times. Many of you have already been privileged to fulfill your civic duty before, but I did not know what to expect; I was a little excited and a bit nervous.
A couple of weeks later, the big day arrived. I found the parking garage and parked the car on the correct level. Then, as instructed, I did one of the hardest things I have done in a long time: I left my phone in the car. The audacity of not allowing phones in the courtroom! I started panicking a little, thinking about being separated from my phone, but I pulled it together and headed to the courthouse.
Arriving early, I made my way into the room along with the other lucky contestants. We received numbers and were then marched into the courtroom to meet the judge. He was a very nice and friendly gentleman who explained what would happen and what would be required of us if we were selected to serve. He told us the dates we would need to be available and asked the 64,000 dollar question. Do you have a reason you might not be able to serve?
And so it began…some people had physical ailments that prevented them from sitting for long periods of time, had hearing issues, or were the only caregivers for an ill person. Others did not have childcare or essential jobs. Some had vacations scheduled or a family member in law enforcement. A few had been on the opposite end of a run-in with the law or victims of crimes themselves. I don’t discount any reasons for needing to be excused from service; I am sure they were all legitimate; but the sheer number and variety stunned me.
After a while, all of the excuses were given, so the attorneys and judge left the room to deliberate. A few minutes later, they came back to announce the 12 winners of being on the jury and the 6 alternates who must be on call while the other 30-plus people were dismissed and rewarded with a $30 check for their half day of work. (Me, always the bridesmaid, never the bride, was selected as the last alternate.) So, I collected my check and my phone and headed home.
A little while later, after all the excitement had died down, I spent some time reflecting on the scene of the courtroom. I wonder if God asks us to serve Him and is peppered with excuse after excuse of why we can’t serve. I know your “reasons” may not really be excuses, but are they? What if everyone found a reason not to serve (either in our jury system or for our Heavenly Father.) Or worse yet, what if everyone served like you serve? Make sure your “reasons” are not actually excuses, and find a way to intentionally serve God this week, and discover the joy of obedience while you have the freedom to serve.