Casey Anthony’s Fate

I was as shocked and disappointed as anyone else today when the jury returned not guilty verdicts for Casey Anthony. Marie and I watched the trial from the beginning almost every day.  We sat glued to the set day after day watching those skilled attorneys duke it out.  And, like 95 percent of every other trial watcher, we were confident the jury would find Casey guilty.  But anyone who’s ever been on a jury . . .

knows that you can’t predict what a jury will do behind closed doors and reviews the evidence. No one outside the jury room knows how or why the jury makes up its collective mind about guilt or innocence. No one knows what sways them. No one knows what they believe or don’t believe about the evidence.

Their service is at the heart of our democracy. It’s about the only thing Congress or the Supreme Court hasn’t changed or attempted to change for 200 years. After weeks of listening to evidence and testimony they unanimously decided the State of Florida did not meet its burden to prove the charges against Miss Anthony.

End of story. Time to move on.

Did Caylee get justice today? No.

But it really doesn’t matter to her. Caylee is happy and at peace today and full of joy and laughter. She plays within arm’s reach of Jesus all day.

Some comments I’ve heard on TV and read on Facebook seem to show some folks believe Casey Anthony got away with murdering her daughter, Caylee.

No she did not.

Will she return to her partying lifestyle? Will she reconcile with her family? Will she get pregnant again? Will she live her life unscathed by the events of the past three years?  Will she make millions off the sale of books and movies about her story? Will she live in luxury the rest of her life? No one knows.  Will her life turn South and be filled with tragedy and depression and shame?  Will she be tormented by the media and hounded by people she meets?  Will she be ostracized by society? Will she have to move and change her name and live in isolation. Will she commit suicide? We don’t know that either.

What we do know is she will not get by with murder. God takes the Ten Commandments seriously. If she goes to her grave with an unrepentant heart, she will suffer more grief and torment than any life-in-prison-without-parole sentence or death penalty would impose.

Did she commit murder? We’ll never know. But she did sin, and will sin again and again. . . .just like you and me. The same God that drew us to Him and forgave us our sins can draw Casey Anthony to Himself and change her life as well.  That’s how God works.  He loves all His children.  He will love Casey until she takes her last breath. Where she goes at that moment will be her choice. Her destination will be either heaven or @#!*% .

Think about this. If she does change her life, accept Christ as her Lord and Savior, and God transforms her life, we’ll be calling her our sister in Christ.

Everyone, even the most pathological liar or murderer or prostitute or thief or swindler, has the same opportunity to repent of their sins and claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior. That’s how much Jesus loves us.

Did Casey Anthony get by with murder? Absolutely not.

The judge who pronounced her innocent will not be the same Judge who looks for her name written in the Lamb’s book of life one day. Casey’s name may or may not be found written there. Will yours?