Because of an incident that took place several months ago, I spent some time in Juvenile Court this morning. The following are the leadership lessons I gleaned from my time there:
- There Are Fewer Obstacles For Those Who Are Prepared – Because I was subpoenaed and did not want to be late, I left my home at 6:15 AM for a trip to downtown Atlanta. Needing to be present at 8:30 AM, I arrived at 7:00 AM because I beat the traffic. For leaders who prepare well, the journey is smoother because obstacles are removed.
- Always Have A Back-Up Strategy – Once again, in an effort to over-prepare, I had both my phone GPS and MapQuest directions. For the record, my GPS is more reliable and helped me after MapQuest took me to the wrong location.
- The Value Of Servant Leaders – Along with the officers, I was the only one at the court house for awhile. I was impressed at how nice they were and went out of their way to serve me.
- Courts Are Not There To Serve You – The waiting room at the courthouse had only 19 chairs. The court is not there to make us comfortable.
- Judgement Is Sobering – Since I spent approximately 50 minutes alone in the waiting room, I noticed the walls were bare except for five pictures of judges. The building contained a lot of blank space on non-descript walls. It is a sobering place.
- The Shock Of Simplicity – Cell phones that contain cameras were not allowed in the courthouse. You had to take them back to your car. It was shocking to spend four hours with over 80 people and no one had use of a cell phone.
- Embrace The Moment – Because I had no cell phone and was forced to wait, I got to watch the sunrise in Atlanta. I had forgotten how beautiful the city of Atlanta is. I wonder what other beautiful things I have forgotten simply because I no longer slow down to notice them.
- The Judge Is Not Concerned With Your Schedule – It took me several hours to have the case I was involved in heard. There was much sitting and waiting. And no one cared that I would like to get back to work.
- People Should Not Be Shackled With Labels – The title I carried for my time in Juvenile Court was “victim”. I did not feel like a victim nor was I going to act like one. By the way, neither should you.
- I Am Thankful For Jesus – When you stand before a judge, it is their courtroom, their conversation, their agenda, their timeline, and the decision is their’s and their’s alone. There will come a day when I will stand (or fall prostrate on my face) before a holy, righteous God. I am so grateful that Jesus will plead my case and because of Him, I will be blameless and found not guilty in the sight of The Judge.
Pastors and leaders, have you ever been in a court room? What were your thoughts?
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