Don’t Put Yourself on T R Y A L [Academy]

Have you’ve ever been on trial?

The word trial spelled t r i a l, comes from the Anglo-French word “trier” meaning, try, or something to be tested. If you sell seed to farmers, you’ve been put on trial and tested many times. In fact, the minute a farmer sees you drive into his yard or place of business you are put on trial. You are judged by how your vehicle looks and by how you are dressed when you get out of it. You are immediately put on trial and judged by how you greet him even though you’ve never met. 

Many put you on trial and judge you by how firm your handshake is, at least that’s how my dad judged many people, especially salespeople. A firm handshake got his immediate attention and sent a signal that the person was strong and deserved respect. My dad was a farmer who spent most of his early days working with his hands doing a lot of physical labor that made his hands very strong. He always bragged about how firm his handshake was and put everyone on trial, judging anyone who didn’t have a firm grip when they shook his hand. He even criticized our minister for having such a soft unworthy handshake.

Why would you expect your minister to be a cow milker, bail thrower or a manure pitcher like my dad was?

But it didn’t keep him from talking disparagingly about someone who didn’t have what he called a working man’s hand. He would comment about how soft those people were and that they had never done any REAL WORK.  But as he got older and did little or no physical labor, his handshake became like those he usually made fun of.

Virtually everyone is put on trial at some time in their lives. No, not for crimes they’ve committed, but for things other people believe they should be judged.