The how and why I was in court being sued for 250,000 dollars isn’t at all interesting. But I was sitting during one of many tedious medical depositions when I noticed the shadow cast by my lawyer's water bottle. I was reminded of the Bible verses comparing earthly things, rituals, and laws to a mere shadow of the heavenly things to come.

On a scrap of paper I wrote something like: "A shadow of a water bottle is a black silhouette, two-dimensional, and immovable—save for the movement of the bottle from which the shadow falls. But the water bottle itself is able to be grasped, it is 3-D, it can be moved; the water inside can actually be consumed and in fact maintains life."

I also thought and wrote about the contrast between a human shadow and the human itself. The difference is astounding. You can’t speak to, relate to, differ with, interact with, or love a shadow; and the differences are far greater than just these.

I wrote something at the end to the effect of: “If all of earth and its glory is just a shadow of heaven, that’s crazy,” and handed it to my step-dad who was seated next to me in the courtroom. He read it and smiled.

We are currently in the middle of that four-day trial, which could cause my parents to have to sell their house. But I know that all authority has been given to Christ, who is the real judge. The glory we will be given in heaven reveals earthly possessions to be just a shadow that will eventually be dissipated by the light to come.