Case Dismissed

Growing Daily

Case Dismissed

In his college days, my dad was once summoned to traffic court. The way he told the story, it was because his ’49 Ford convertible didn’t have a “conservative” look or sound. Police would unfairly pull him out of the even flow of traffic and issue him tickets. Whatever he meant by that, it seems he was in danger of losing his license.

On the day of the hearing, my dad did the only thing he could think of—he wore his ROTC uniform, hoping to look respectable, but bracing for bad news.

When his case was called, the judge studied him for a long moment, and then curiously named another ROTC cadet and asked, “Do you know him?”

"Yes, sir.  He’s in my unit."

The gavel came down. “Case dismissed.” He added, “That's my son."

The judge then stepped down from the bench, shook my father's hand, and spoke warmly of his son.

Nothing about my dad's driving record had changed. But when the judge looked at him, clothed in the ROTC uniform, he no longer saw a reckless driver. He saw his son—and that changed everything.

My dad used to say his license was saved because he was "accepted in the Beloved" that day (Ephesians 1:6, KJV).

It was the gospel in miniature: standing before a holy God with a record we cannot defend, those who are “in Christ” are judged on His merits, not our own.

No condemnation.

Free. (Romans 8:1-2).


- Catherine Reid