TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022 - TRISHA THE JUDGE

 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022 - STORY

This week I’m writing fiction. This got longer than I wanted.

*****

Trisha Rogers was a judge.  No, she didn’t have a black robe and sat behind a desk in a courtroom.  It had come on over the years.  She could just tell when people were good and when they weren’t.  She could tell who were really Christians and who weren’t and were just going through the motions.  It was quite a gift that God had given her (or so she thought).

When a person came into the library, Trisha knew instantly by their appearance if they were “naughty or nice”.  That girl with the purple hair - naughty.  That man in a suit and tie - nice.  That homeless guy who came into the library on cold days to warm up and read the newspaper, or on hot days to cool off - naughty, but she still had compassion on him.  And, for sure, even though she was ‘nice’ that Muslim lady that came in with her two children - was naughty in God’s book for failing to recognize Jesus.  

It was so easy.  Nice people dressed and acted nice.  Those who were outside of the mainstream were naughty.  Nice people were Christians and going to heaven.  Naughty people (at least in Trisha’s view) were going to hell.  

She did occasionally have to change her views.  Just last week, there was a man from her church at the grocery store, and (gasp), he had a 24-pack of beer and bought a pack of cigarettes going through the check-out lane in his shopping cart.  (Real Christians didn’t drink beer or wine, or really any alcohol).

It really just made sense.  Jesus wanted us to live pure and holy lives.  “Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:7).  

So, we needed to live pure and holy.  And, since no one comes to the Father except through Jesus, the non-Christians don’t even have a chance.  That’s the way it was - period.

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Now, Trisha wasn’t a bad person.  Even to the Muslim lady and her children, Trisha was really sweet and loving.  She believed in the “Like Your Neighbor as Yourself” concept.  She knew she needed to show love to all people.  And, maybe, just maybe, someday that Muslim mother or one of the other non-Christians might come up to her and say “You know Trisha, there is just something different about you.  What is it?” - And, then Trisha could evangelize that person.  She was ready.  She had taken the evangelization class at her church and she practiced it at least once a week in front of a mirror.  Her husband and kids were “nice”.    

She felt sorry for the people who didn’t know Jesus.  He was such a sweet, loving, forgiving, humble man.  She generally wore a cross necklace and when she felt the need, she could touch the cross and remember what Jesus did for her.

*****

 

At the library, she did get to know Aliyah Hasmi.  Her family had escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan and were refugees in Troy, New York.  Aliyah always smiled at Trisha and Trisha smiled back.  Trisha guessed the two of them were about the same age - the mid-30s.  In the summer Aliyah and her two daughters, Nura and Wajiha were common visitors to the library.  Trisha thought Nura must be in second grade, and Wajiha not yet in school- so many four or five.  Trisha’s son, Caleb was in third grade, and her daughter Naomi was in preschool.

Aliyah would chat with Trisha when they checked out books.  Trisha, ever the librarian, would comment on the books the girls were reading.  It might be as simple as “Naomi really likes that book”, or more complex like “Have your girls write any of the Mo Willems books.  Caleb likes them.  He read ``The Pigeon wants a Puppy” last week.  

Aliyah would comment back about school and holidays.  “Do the children get President’s Day off from school?”, or even “Do the children get Good Friday off?”.

*****

One afternoon, there was a phone call at the library, from somebody asking for Trisha.  Elva, the librarian who took the call, called Trisha to the phone.  Elva covered the speaker and whispered, “I think it is the Arab lady”.  (Trisha knew that comment was possibly offensive to Aliyah - she was Afghani, not Arab!!)

“Hello,” Trisha greeted.

“Hello”, was the response.  “This is Aliyah.  I have an awful toothache and the dentist can fit me in at 4:00 today.  I know this is a big request, but if I dropped off the girls at the library, could you keep an eye on them until I come back from the dentist's?  I just couldn’t find anybody to watch them for me”. ”.

  

Trisha worked until 4.30, but the girls were always so good and quiet, she said “Of course Aliyah.  I’d be glad to watch the girls. I’ll look for you at the main entrance at about 3;45 and you can drop them off and get your tooth fixed.”

*****

True to her word, Trisha was at the library entrance at 3:40 and ready to greet Aliyah, Nura, and Wajiha. And, true to her word, Aliyah was there at 3:44.  Nura still had her school book bag.  Aliyah said, “Thank you so much, my friend!!”.  Trisha waved and said, “May the dentist help you with your tooth.  Blessings”.  Aliyah waved back and took off.

With Nura holding Trisha’s left hand, and Wajiha holding Trisha’s right hand, they went into the library.  Trisha had told Elva that the girls would be there, and also told the children’s library, Paula.  

“Can we skip”, Trishas asked the girls.  Immediately she started to skip across the floor and the two girls laughed and tried to keep up with Trisha.  They all went into the children’s section and Paula was ready for them.  

“I have some coloring pages and some games”, Paula said to the girls.  They went to a table and started coloring.  Trisha smiled back at Paula and gave her a thumbs-up.  

Trisha wasn’t all that busy so wandered into the children’s section a couple of times.  The girls looked up and smiled, but then went back to their coloring.  Paula had given Wajiha a maze puzzle to solve.  Nura had a more difficult coloring page, but was using the set of 64 coloring pencils and was doing a great job.

When her shift was over, Trisha went in with the girls and colored her own page.  Wajiha showed off her puzzle and asked Trisha to help her with another one.  

******

Aliyah arrived at about 5:20 - looking terrible.  

Trisha looked at her and asked, “How are you doing?”  Aliyah just shook her head “no”.  She tried to talk but it came out as a whisper, ‘Not too good.  The dentist did an emergency root canal and it hurts.  Can you watch the girls while I run to the drugstore for pain pills?” 

Trisha whispered back, “The girls and I are having a good time. I’ll take them home with me and they can play with Caleb and Naomi”.  She gave Aliyah her phone number and address and got Aliyah’s number.  Give me a call when you feel better.  I’ll give them dinner.  Anything they don’t eat?”

Aliyah whispered back “No pork”.  She left the library and Trisha said to Nura and Wajiha “Girls, we’re going to go to my house and have dinner.”

*****

Trisha, Nura, and Wajiha drove to the Roger's house.  Dan, Caleb, and Naomi were expecting their mother, but Trisha had called with the news they were having two more for dinner.  Fortunately, the plan had been for spaghetti with meat sauce (beef).  Nura and Wajihi and Caleb and Naomi did know each other and it was like a party as the two American kids seemed like they wanted to show off for their Afghani friends.  

After dinner, the kids went to the backyard to play.   Aliyah and her husband Hussain arrived to pick up the kids.  Aliyah was a little better having gotten the pain medication.  There was some leftover spaghetti left so Dan heated it up.  The four sat around the kitchen table and got to know each other better.

Hussain had been a professor and then a translator for the Allied forces fighting the Taliban.  When the Americans pulled out, Hussain was a marked man - and would have been one of the first to get killed if he and Aliyah hadn’t fled.  (And, Aliyah as a nurse and a medical translator was also a marked person.). 

*****

The two families became good friends.  They packed their families into two cars with camping gear and went to Niagara Falls, to the Adirondacks Mountains, and to New York City.  Plus biking around Troy and picnicking.

*****

And, Trisha had to back off on her judging.  She and Aliyah were now BFFs (best friends).  Trisha adopted a new philosophy - let God do the judging, and she was to love ALL people - All the time.  (Although she still had a little judgment for the man from her church who bought beer and tobacco).

*****

Yes, it is the Christmas Season - Yes, it is a holy season to Christians, yes, the Savior of the World was born, but a God who could great billions of stars (and some of the new telescope images should so many more stars than we imagined), an infinite God - he was a much better judge - and he was in charge.  Trisha found that she liked this arrangement much better.  She wasn’t in charge, she didn’t have to corner people and grab them and say “Do you know Jesus”.  She was still happy in her faith, and it seems like Aliyah and Hussain were comfortable in their faith as well - even though it was frequently Muslim versus Muslim in Asia Minor as the Shiites fought the Sunnis.

*******

And, Karen agrees - I don’t know, I don’t understand, but God’s ways are not human ways, an Infinite God is way out of my league - and I’m going to trust Him.  I’m still believing that LOVE WINS and that LOVE TRANSFORMS!!

Karen Anne White, © December 20, 2022