Traffic Court

While I've always enjoyed this fast food restaurant's marketing campaign, I was thinking today after my little 'traffic ticket' experience at the courthouse that one should never say such things to Officers. Things do not go well for those who get lippy with law enforcement. Even if one is not happy with law enforcement for giving them a ticket for doing something wrong, one needs to respect their authority. Respect them for their position. They are the authority, instituted by God, Scripture says, and it is our duty to give them their due respect.

I might add that calling the deputy 'fool' within earshot is probably not a good idea, either. There were those in line at the courthouse this morning that would not stop running off at the mouth, and were sternly rebuked, almost not permitted to take care of their business with the court today as a result. They were flipping out about not being allowed to wear hats and shorts into the courtroom, or to have pagers on or use cellphones. To me, that's just basic common sense, but these people were beligerent about it, and showed a total lack of respect for authority. I'm guessing though, that if one of their loved ones were victimized, and those same officers came to their rescue, their attitudes would sure change!

One thing I observed was that our legal system is set up in such a way as to make folks appear before the judge, by themselves, to give an accounting for their actions. To contest the ticket usually does not work in one's favor. But if a person admits their guilt, the Judge will often knock your fine amount down some. While I ended up just paying the ticket (since it was half of what I'd been expecting and to get out of there sooner), I was admittedly relieved. I felt so nervous about having to go before all those strangers and the Judge, and to have to declare my guilt.

It got me thinking about how thankful I am to have Jesus' blood covering me. That He took upon His body on the tree all of my sin and iniquity. That He paid the price on my behalf. I was nervous about standing before the human judge for a traffic ticket, but to stand before Almighty God on judgement day without that covering? That makes me shudder in fear! And yet, countless, untold millions around our world are headed for that! It is imperative that we be busy about the Lord's work!

I'm also so very thankful that we at least have a legal system in this country, and that it does provide justice for the most part! It could be like other countries where you are just thrown in prison until you can pay the fines, however long that might take. Or stoned for your crimes, whether truly guilty or not. Or living in a country with very little justice or law whatsoever.

In spite of my irritation with having been issued a moving traffic violation for speeding (on my vacation), I knew darn good and well I was guilty. I planned to plead guilty. And if I'd stayed to declare my guilt before the judge (instead of just paying the fine), he might even have knocked down the cost some, but in the end, I was so thrilled at the cost being far less there than in our county and that they would allow me to attend traffic school to clear it from my record...that I was rejoicing (in my heart I was kicking up my heels in glee)! And we were home before 11:30, and that place is over an hour and a half away!

Which, in turn, made me very grateful to the officer who pulled me over that day, who went ahead and marked me down to 15 miles over the speed limit instead of what I had really been doing (which would have been considered reckless driving and endangerment...a misdameanor or a felony, I'm not sure which)! All things considered, I got off pretty easy...and learned a valuable lesson.

An interesting thing happened on my way out of the courthouse. I came out with a group of people, and noticed that I was the only one dressed up in the bunch. I was amazed at how many people showed up in grungy clothes for something important like a court hearing! While walking towards my mother-in-law (who had kindly driven over with the boys and I and was babysitting them while I was inside), a young gal came up and asked me for help. Apparently she'd gotten dropped off at the wrong courthouse (there are two in that area, the older one being used for certain types of cases), and needed to be at the old courthouse within minutes to make a very important custody hearing. She didn't find out until she went inside, and they told her she was at the wrong one. You can imagine her panic, especially when she'd been dropped off there, and was stranded!

My heart went out to her, and when I patted her shoulder, she burst into tears, "I'm supposed to be over at the other one in 10 minutes or I might lose custody of my kids *tears and sobs*!" She was crying. "Please, I'll pay you to take me..." I could hear the desperation in her voice, and my heart just broke for her, thinking of what life would be like were I in her shoes. The terror. And to have inadvertently ended up at the wrong courthouse on such an important day!

Naturally, my mother-in-law was all for helping the poor gal, and we took her over there immediately. On the way over, she was still tearful, and very nervous about appearing before the judge. She also told a little about her story, and how after she had admitted herself to rehab a couple of months earlier, her ex was arrested on a $100,000 warrant for domestic violence, and imprisoned. The children were put into foster care with various relatives. She was now out, and clean, and desperate to get her kids back. I do believe that for this poor gal it was a major wake-up call. We prayed with her on the way over, and tried our best to encourage her in the short time we had with her. Turns out she's a backslidden Christian who has had some major struggles in her young life. Three kids caught in the middle of it with her. We didn't get much information about her in the short time we were with her, but we'll be praying for Tawnya and her 3 kids for quite some time. And we're hopeful that someone from her former church in that area might be able to help her as well.

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My mom mentioned in my comments to yesterday's posting that I never gave her the kind of trouble as a toddler that Judah gives me...which got me thinking that perhaps what Jeff did as a kid is what is coming back in spades! Somehing I'd never thought about before, lol. I feel rather vindicated! We'll have to see how Jeff feels about this...