Meet My Family

Fear the 'stache!

Brandon, Christian, Analiese (back), Elliana, and Daisy

This is the most recent picture of my beautiful family. Yes, we have normal pictures, but what fun are those? (FTR, the mustaches weren't photo-shopped; they were actual fake mustaches that we wore. They look so fake, however, that they do look painted on.)

Pursuing Justice

Life isn't fair.

Most of us have heard this since we were young, yet few of us allowed this dismal truth to sink in and settle. Our parents and teachers were trying to set us up for the many injustices we would witness or suffer, but as children, we could not accept it. We sought a world that is just and fair, where everyone was treated with respect and no one went unpunished for their transgressions.

Such a world does not exist on Earth.

The only place where true justice can be sought is in Heaven. In the meantime, we must traverse a terrain that is not always smooth and even; at times it can be outright rocky, nontraversable, and brutal. There are too many examples to count of life's heaping serving of unfairness.

• A woman, minding her own business, is shoved to her death by a complete stranger who should not have been living amongst the rest of us unchecked or unsupervised.
• A man shares his faith to people who want to hear it is jailed and faces death.
• A man is falsely accused and must wait decades before a re-trial occurs that proves his innocence.
• A woman finally leaves an abusive ex-partner for the sake of her children and is finally finding stability until the ex and his well-to-do mother throw money at a custody case and utilize DCS to terrorize her with false and unproven allegations. Despite her innocence and clean record (as opposed to his riddled record), she cannot win because she lacks the money to hire proper legal representation.

The last circumstance hits close to home. No, it is not my personal situation (and I thank God every day for not bringing this trial upon me), but it is close enough that I feel twinges of pain and anger. The other circumstances are just as devastating, as well.

But there is a rainbow at the end of this storm. If it weren't for my belief in a higher power (aka: God), I'd imagine that I'd be in a pit of depression with all this injustice swirling about. God brings hope, and He shines a light into this darkness. His promises keep me hanging on, for I know He always makes good on them and that justice will be served... when He is ready. I just have to be patient. The following verse helps me to remember -

Isaiah 30:18 
Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Indeed, our Lord is a God of justice. He despises the evil and corrupt dealings. For those of us who thirst for righteousness, we need only wait. I have already seen some of His action in the custody matter take place. One person who has sought to only harm the lady in question has dug himself so deeply into a hole that his mommy's money can't pull him out. There is also more that is about to be done in regards to this case, but it is not my story to tell. It will all come to light later.

As for the other victims, the poor woman and those poor men, not much more can be done for them. Those who have passed can not be restored to their families here on Earth, and the innocent man who was jailed cannot get his life back. But what happened to them can result in activism that can effect positive change by those of us who are moved by their plights. For while we are told to trust the Lord and wait on Him, we are also told -

Isaiah 1:17 
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

When you can do something, DO it. When you see something wrong, speak against it. Fight for what is right. (Fight clean; don't fight dirty, mind you.) As long as you are within God's will, you will be blessed. And when you feel there is nothing you can do, you can. You can wait. And you can pray.

May God bless those of you suffering inequities.