Suspended!!!

So last week I was running late to pick up my son from daycare. I was trying to get there before 5pm since it's a dollar a minute charge for being late. Well I get pulled over by a cop sitting in the middle of the road with the speed gun (or whatever its called). How did I miss him! Anyway after what seemed like 3 hours he gives me a ticket. I was thinking it was going to be at the most $75 or something. I wasn't going THAT fast. It was $130. As I melted in my seat and drove off I tried to think of how I was going to pay this. As a single-parent-grad student I don't have much money to spare.

I read the ticket and it said that if I don't pay the ticket in 7 days they would suspend my license and put a warrent out for my arrest. DANG! Ohio is serious about this! There was also an option to go to court. Since I didn't have the money I opted for going to court. I dropped my son off at daycare and went to the court house. The court room was full of people with their own traffic violations.

Everyone had to bring in an attdance slip located outside the room to give to some lady up front and then a second person called you up to discuss your case. You have the option of entering in a guilty, no contest, or not guitly plea. If you enter not guilty then you have go to court again.

As I sat there I was wondering what I was going to say. I'm sure these people hear sob stories everyday about how someone can't pay for this because of XY and Z. I don't want to give excuses and I didn't want to enter a not guilty plea because I know I was speeding.

When my name was finally called the judge told me to come to the bench. She explained my ticket, and asked my plea which I said was guilty. She said the charge was the charge for the ticket plus $50 plus the court costs. She then asked if I was able to pay the fine today. The conversation went something like this:

Me: I'm not able to the ticket. Is there anyway I could do some community service. I admint I was speeding.

Judge: No. You have to pay for it. I can give you an extension though.

Me: Well, I won't get any money to pay for this until I get my financial aid in the fall.

Judge: When is that?

Me: September.

Judge: That's what you spend your financial aid on?

Me: (weird look on my face). Its just me and my son and I'm in grad school. I dont want to enter a not guilty plea because I WAS speeding I just can't pay for it. If there is another way I can deal with the ticket I will.

Judge: How are you going take care of yorself until then?

Me: I'm teaching an art class over the summer and I'm working with the Upward Bound program.

Judge: (looks at me with a disappointed my-goodness-chile look and did some fast writing) I'll suspended it all. You don't have to pay anything. But you need to stop speeding. You better be glad you got me.

Me: Thank you. Thank you so much!

I left the court room praising God that day. Every since I have had a renewed dedication to Him, he has granted me favor and I thank Him for that... because I NEED it. We need it.

Waiting for more blessings to come :-)

Is God in your life? He DOES work you know :-)

Be blessed!