Yesterday was an exercise in humility and I did not like it at all. We received a summons to appear in court for not paying a medical bill totaling $74.60 over NINE years ago, count them NINE. It was a matter of principal back then that I did not pay the bill, and it has remained a matter of principal all these forgotten years. However, it was brought to my attention again several months ago when my fastidious mail carrier brought the summons to my door where he personally placed it in my hand. Letters and phone calls flew back and forth and months later, we came to an agreement. We even agreed to pay half which we did, which was apparently lost in the mail by some other persnickety mail carrier bent on causing us a great deal of trouble. The line was drawn in the sand and it was up to me to defend myself as the doctor was taking us to court. Knots began to form in my belly as I thought of defending myself. The bill was for Tyler anyway why don’t they come after him.
We were ready to do battle and if it were left to me that is exactly what we were going to do. We felt the case was in our favor and felt certain that we would be exonerated of the crime.
We happened to show up a good 45 minutes before it was our time to appear. Several people were waiting in the long hallway on wooden benches. I poked my head in the courtroom to see if we were in the right place and was escorted rather briskly out of the courtroom where I learned it was indeed the right place but the judge had some bond hearings to try and then do lunch. The lawyers came first and the rest of us would be last. Men in blue business suit were filling up the place. It was going to be a long day of waiting. I then asked a woman who was sitting outside the courtroom if she knew how these things work and to my utter amazement, it was the woman representing the doctor. I was staring directly in the face of the plaintiff.
She asked if we were the Fogarty’s and we said yes. She then asked us if we would agree to pay the bill to avoid the court scene, but my instant reply was, “I’m done with this.” Then, in comes the Holy Spirit resting squarely on the shoulders of my dear husband. Oh, brother…I’m thinking we were beginning to waffle. Short end of it, we settled out of court for half of the money and half of the court costs, $50 some odd dollars.
As it turns out, the whole thing was not about the court, or about what we owed, nor was it about winning something we thought was wrong. It was about this woman named Doris and it was about my heart. As we talked to her, we found out that her son was killed just nine months before her husband died of cancer. As she, wiped tears out of her eyes Evan asked her if she knew how much Jesus loved her and that he was there for her. I stood in shocked awe as I watched my husband put his arm around my enemy, a person God loves and was willing to die for. Evan put down our “rights box” and ministered to a woman that was hurting and lonely.
God will go to any length to get us to learn a lesson. It was I who needed to see the big picture. I watched something up close and personal and felt the love Jesus had for this woman. He used Evan’s heart and willingness to see through her job and see a person.
My daughter danced for us at the end of our day. She put on her little wedding dress and danced with delight as she looked for approval in our eyes. We need to dance before the Lord each day and also look for approval in his eyes. One day I may get it right the first time. Until then and forever, I will be looking.