Jury Duty - My First Time to Serve

Jury duty is something I have always wanted to do. I was called a couple of times while in college, but was excused because I was a student and at the time living out of the area.

I was finally called again! Yay! Maybe?

I do feel it is a civic responsibility to serve, and as a citizen of America, a great country, I feel somewhat proud to serve on a jury. Serving on a jury does create some difficulties with life's schedule though, the biggest hurdle being my occupation.

I manage a retail store. When I look at the dates on my paper listing when the jury trials are, I see 20 dates. Basically it is serving for one week each of the next four months, beginning this week. This complicates my work schedule tremendously because while I do get paid for serving on the jury ($15 a day from the county, and my regular salary from work), it doesn't make sense for me to schedule myself to work on a day I may serve on the jury. The catch is that it is unlikely I will need to serve at all, and each night prior to the day I may have to serve, I call a hotline number which informs me if my services will be needed. So, if I am scheduled to work, as I am tomorrow, but I need to serve on the jury, someone will need to cover my shift. However, if I schedule myself off and I do not have to serve on the jury, I have a day off and no pay. So, I called my DM and he suggests that I have an employee "on notice" either scheduled to work, or on-call that they may have to work, if I am needed on the jury. If I am not needed I just let my employee know they have the day off and they are not needed. Man, jury duty creates a whole "domino effect" of work schedules!

I also had a conflict with one of the weeks I would have to serve because Katie's family will be visiting from Massachusetts and have a bunch of stuff planned for that I've also been invited to participate in. I approached the bench today smiling and said to the judge "I'm excited to serve! However I do have a conflict with this week in June." He thanked me for being so willing to serve, and excused me from service that week. Yay, that was simple.

I think I'll be able to work all this out, but it does create some chaos and an unsettled feeling in me making sure my store is covered if I need to serve.

Another thing I noted about the opening day for the jury today was that the judge had a local pastor pray before we started. That's always a plus in my book! Then, we were also all asked to rise and raise our right hand to take an oath. I promised to tell the truth about my "competency to serve as a juror" but I always squirm a bit when it gets to the "swear to God" part because in James 5:12 the Bible instructs:

"Above all, my brothers, do not swear-not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned."

I am never sure I want to "swear to God" because I try to always live and let my "yes by yes and my no, no".

A Christian should be able to make a statement and have it be true. If one has to gain credibility by preceding a statement with "swear to God (this is true)", what does that say about other statements made without that preface?

Regardless, I will be truthful to anyone inquiring about my competency to serve on the jury!