Today is Caylee's Birthday

A little girl named Caylee Anthony was murdered in Florida three years ago. I remember reading about it in People Magazine while I was on the treadmill at the gym in Franklinton. I was 4 months pregnant at the time. I’ll never forget reading that Caylee had been reported missing and that her mother was thought to have had something to do with her disappearance. The media reported that Casey told the police she worked at Disney and left Caylee with a nanny. Apparently, she never worked at Disney and there wasn't a nanny. The media continued to spin all kinds of lies she told to the police and in addition, reported all sorts of rumors about Casey- that while Caylee was missing, she was out partying and dating different men.

Caylee’s remains were found in October of that year, and Casey was arrested. Over two years later, Casey finally went to trial. The trial was televised and I couldn’t recall another high profile case going national and on public television since O.J. Simpson. While there were 12 jurors selected to make judgment in court, there were millions of jurors making judgments online. It seemed the majority felt strongly that she was guilty. I’m even guilty of that. A mother who previously lived with her parents, left their home to be on her own, her baby goes missing, and for three months while the police are looking- she’s out living the high life. It seemed like a no brainer to me- she simply saw her child as a distraction and no longer wanted her. However, the jury didn’t see this. Their verdict- Not Guilty. The country was outraged! I’ve seen comments on news sites and facebook from people who think Caylee didn’t get the justice she deserved. Did she?

Once my anger lessened, I turned to God for understanding. My faith in HIM took me to a place where death isn't a bad thing. Caylee is with her father now. She is in a beautiful place. I envy her- that she doesn’t have to endure the pains of this world any longer. Her mother may not have wanted her, but her FATHER did. I know that I will never understand why this happened and because of that, I am angry about it and I want revenge on the person who did this, too. But God has a plan. It is an awesome plan that is much too big for me to comprehend. So instead of blasting our legal system and crying out that Caylee wasn’t served justice, I will turn to God to find forgiveness. And I will let HIM be the judge.

Today is Caylee's birthday. The moment I glanced at the internet, I began reading comments regarding the trial and the prayers for revenge and justice. And here were my thoughts:

Do you ever wonder if God helps murdered people in heaven forgive their assailant the way counselors help survivors forgive their abusers? Maybe the people in heaven aren't as angry as we seem to be here. Maybe that's why our legal system can't be as perfect as we would like. It's not our job to judge- it's HIS.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.