Summoned And Commanded
It is certainly not the letter you want to receive in the midst of the arriving holiday season. But there it was in black and white.
"TWO WEEK JURY SUMMONS"
"You are hereby SUMMONED and COMMANDED to lay all business aside and personally appear at the Fayette County Justice Center on a December 04, 2017 at 8:30 AM as a Juror."
What are they thinking? The first two weeks of December? Does anyone not know what time of year it is and all that must be done?
And yet, I am SUMMONED AND COMMANDED. So here I sit with forty-nine other co-summoned citizens awaiting and praying we are not one of the twelve. The jurors will be questioned and chosen according to those who will best benefit the side the attorneys are hoping to win. My answers to the questions will either qualify me for one side or disqualify me for the other.
This is my assignment for the moment, so I spend some waiting time by re-reading Ann Voscamp’s book, “A Thousand Gifts” and searching to find as many things as possible to thank Him for in the jury selection holding tank. If I truly believe that God is sovereign over all things, then I can thank Him for this. Even though my back screams to me that I desperately need to be in my chiropractor’s waiting room, I sense I am to be silent and let God have His way. He controls if I am chosen or released and I need not attempt to tamper with the system.
My mind turns to another choosing of twelve. Jesus spent an entire night praying and seeking the Father before choosing His twelve. They were not summoned because of what they could bring to a particular case, but simple ordinary men who would be entrusted with the teachings of Jesus that would change the entire world. It was not necessary for them to answer qualifying questions leaning in the right direction. The only requirement was to follow when summoned.
“Come follow me!”
We find ourselves in the continuation of that first twelve choosing as He likewise summons us to “Come”. We are all summoned but not commanded. I bring nothing to the table. I have nothing to offer, but a simple ordinary woman willing to be filled and used by Almighty God.
Life can be hard. The struggle can be real. Many circumstances demand us to be where we do not really want to be, but we can find Him in the midst of it all. Add holiday stress to our normal daily load and most would agree, we need a pause. We need to hear His summon this December morning.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
I don’t know the outcome of this jury duty, but I do know the outcome of being summoned as a follower of Jesus Christ. Within Him I can find rest, peace, and gratitude in any setting or circumstance. I can trust Him in the simple and in the most complex of situations.
Are you struggling? Are you weary from all the requirements of life? You are invited to rest in Him. He is sovereign over all things and you can trust in Him.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6