(Continued from yesterday)
Then, last week we had a trial in federal court.
It was a hard case, one of the hardest cases I had ever tried.
I was convinced my client had been wrongfully terminated, but I knew proving it was another thing entirely. The company who had terminated my client was so confident they offered nothing to try to settle the case.
On Monday we selected the jury. The panel from which we selected the jury was one of the worst from which a plaintiff’s employment lawyer would ever hope to have to pick a jury. It was like a cross between an engineers’ convention and a Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Once we seated the jury, we gave our opening statements, and I called my client to the stand. Usually at this point in a trial, I feel we are ahead and only after the defense puts on their evidence do I know how close the case will be. But this time I felt like we were behind. Not a good sign.
Monday night I was lying in bed and opened my Bible on my iPhone and came across this verse, “I will give you my shield of victory.” The verse seemingly jumped off my phone, as if the Lord was speaking directly to me. I said nothing to my associate, who is also a Christian. I didn’t even tell my wife. I’m not sure how much I believed it. I’m not always sure I can discern between hope and faith. But I held onto it.
We finished the trial and made closing arguments to the jury. During closing argument, I didn’t feel the love from the jury. One lady was looking at me with a smirk on her face and the others were stone-faced. I expected a quick defense verdict. Then about an hour into deliberations the jury sent a question to the judge. The question gave every indication we would lose. I thought of the verse, “I will give you my shield of victory.” Then I began to pray. Three hours later the jury returned with a verdict in our favor. It was one of the most difficult and remarkable verdicts we had ever obtained in my career.
As a result of the verdict, assuming the company pays and does not appeal, unbelievably, we will almost reach the second financial threshold for buying the building. What 60 days ago seemed an impossibility is now within reach.
I don’t know where all this will lead. I’ve been following Jesus long enough to know how miserable I can be at discerning God’s will and how easily I can confuse my desires for His destiny. I’m also prone to focus on goals instead of the process, whereas Jesus seems more interested in the process because the process in the means by which He makes us more like Him.
Anyway, I thought there might be some value to give readers of this blog a look in while this is still in process, rather than from the end looking back where everything is more clear and certain.
I will let you know how it turns out. GS