I was going to continue the timeline this week, but time got away from me. As you’ll see in this edition of Atmore News, we’re publishing our annual Back to School section. My “atmore” magazine deadline fell at just about the same time. I’m writing this on Monday night before the paper comes out tomorrow and the magazine next week. Glad to say we met both deadlines.
This week, I want to share some thoughts I’ve made a note of during the months all this was going on.
- Through the course of all this, four of us were arrested – Don Fletcher, Cindy Jackson, Ashley Fore, and me. As I’ve told you, the first time I was arrested, I had to go through the strip search. I don’t mention that here to remind you about that. I don’t want to belabor that point. But I do want to be clear about one thing. I would not have expected any preferential treatment in jail. However, when I found out later Sheriff Heath Jackson dictated how one of the three of us was treated, then I realized he called the shots – whether treatment was minimal or whether we were put through the entire protocol, regardless of the charge.
- I saw this somewhere and wrote it down: “As bad as you want to address it, sometimes it’s best to let God defend you. He saw it too.”
- Psalm 4:8 – “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.” (NIV)
- “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” While this is attributed to Winston Churchill, it was not his quote. I was not able to find out the author of the quote.
- You need prayer warriors in your life – the more the better. And through this, I’ve realized the value of being a prayer warrior for others.
- When all this was going on, I never wondered “why me.” I knew why me – I knew why I was targeted as I knew why the others were targeted.
- So many of you sent Facebook messages. Many messages had Scriptures to hold me up. So very appreciated.
- But also on the computer, I was looking for something on the internet one day, and my mug shot came up in a news feed. Gosh, that was unsettling.
- I may have mentioned this before, but I was surprised at the people who’ve known me for years and thought I was guilty. Really? But it was also gratifying and humbling that so many of you told me you knew the charges were false – just because you knew me and my character.
- God is faithful.
To be continued.