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Home / Whanganui Chronicle

New experience in preparing for jury duty

By Shirley-Joy Barrow
Wanganui Midweek·
23 Aug, 2018 04:01 AM3 mins to read

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"Days and nights, that intermix of contracting and expanding; people are not stagnant — our Universe is always in flux, and us along with it." — Adapted from the poetical works of Thomas Hood.

It has been an interesting week for me.
In past times I have often been supporting
someone in court.
This week was a new experience as I arrived at the allotted time with lots of other people, having been called to jury duty. Sitting in the waiting room on a court day, waiting for the selection process to maybe be a juror felt strangely the same. The faces were a little older, mostly, but the same sense of "I wonder what is going to happen to me" was present. The same hesitancy to talk to each other and the same silence permeated the room. I sat fascinated as I looked around the room at all these different people, ready to do jury duty. Then we were "called" and the jury selection began. In doing Jury Duty, I thought that I could give back to my community, even though judging someone is not something I enjoy.

My angels help me to understand that I am shaped by my thoughts and I become what I think. It is good to do things that expand my thinking. My Angels know that if my mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. If I focus on what I love — finding compassion for people — then I will expand my life. Jesus is quoted as saying, "If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." These days I admit I am into saving me and keeping as far from destruction as possible. Rumi suggests we look at our hands — opening and closing, opening and closing. If we kept holding a fist or if our hands were always stretched open, we would find our hand paralysed. Our deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding in our lives. Finding that beautiful balance between the two. As Rumi says, "Co-ordinated as birds' wings".

So, this week my friends, as I fly free for a couple of days, don't allow stagnation, encourage flux — that opening and closing, bringing learning and balance in all we do. Arohanui
Shirley-Joy

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