High Court

This morning after everyone had some reading time, the girls asked me if we had one of those things a judge uses to make everyone be quiet. I looked at them and said "a gavel?"

"YES!" they squealed.

I told them that no I do not keep gavels in the craft closet, but if they looked around, I'm sure they could find something that would work.

They did. I'm not sure which Barbie movie this toy is part of, but they found a scepter that came with a Barbie. That was their gavel.

Then Emma asked if I had a black robe. Ummmm, just the one with pink polka dots. That just wouldn't do so they used their treasured pink Strassburg robes.

They came down. One dressed in her robe carrying the scepter/gavel, the other in pj's.

They headed into the guest bedroom, shut the door and I heard someone say "Hear Ye, Hear Ye."

My curiosity was peeked big time, so I asked them what they were doing.

Their answer..."Holding Court"

Well okay then. They recessed a couple of times for a snack and to take turns being the Judge, but this game went on for a couple of hours. For whatever reason, they were captivated by this game.

Emma came out once without Chloe and told me she was on trial and fixing to get on the "testimony steps". I asked her if she meant the witness stand and she told me no. Their step stool was the testimony stand and that was where she would beg for the judge to go easy on her punishment. (I didn't ask what she did. I was afraid of what this particular child would tell me!!!)

As Emma skipped back to take the "testimony steps", I thanked God for my girls, and their love for each other. They love to play with their friends, but they are just as happy to hang with each other, I hope that never changes.

I thought about Emma going in there to take the testimony steps and this verse popped into my head...

Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that Jesus is sitting beside the Father interceding on our behalf. He's hand delivering our requests and when we don't know what to pray, He fills in our blanks!

Emma was hoping that Judge C. would go easy on her punishment. In their court, she had been found guilty and understood that there would have to be a punishment. When she came out a few minutes later and told me that Judge C. was going to forget her mess up and erase it from her file, I smiled. She went on to say that Judge C. had given strict orders to the village NOT to speak of this offense again. Wow...

That is what our God does. He forgives. Lovingly forgives everytime. To top that off, He doesn't bring it back up. We may bring it back up, the enemy may bring it back up, but God doesn't.

I needed the challenge today to forgive someone, but more importantly, to NOT bring the offense back up.

Proverbs 17:9
He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.