𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 – 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁

Over the past 8 to 9 weeks, emotions have run high.

We’ve all wanted one thing, to find our green-eyed girl.  We’ve hoped,  prayed, cried, and followed every detail of this trial with the expectation that it would bring her home. But as hard as this may be to accept, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 – 𝗯𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗻.

It’s about determining whether the accused are guilty of the charges brought against them. That’s what Judge Erasmus must focus on. That’s what the law is built to do.

I know many were confused.

“𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱?”

“𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁?”

“𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁?”

Because this trial is a 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, not a 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

It does not mean we’ve forgotten her.

It does not mean we’ve given up.

We never will.

But we must also understand the PURPOSE of what we’ve been witnessing in court. Otherwise, we risk becoming disillusioned by a process that was never designed to deliver the answers we crave at least, not in the way we hoped.

Many of us were praying that Kelly and the others would finally speak, but they chose silence.  And in a court of law, silence does not mean guilt or innocence, it simply shapes how the case is argued and judged.

Let me be honest,  i don’t believe the state proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

I don’t believe Renz was a strong or reliable state witness.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱:

No new leads.

No new suspects.

No new evidence.

And perhaps, just perhaps… that silence is part of something deeper, something still hidden.

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝘀?

It leaves us with a judge who will carry a heavy decision on Friday.

It leaves us with a community still searching for truth.

It leaves us, yes, even the prayer warriors, with a challenge – 𝗧𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝗦𝗼 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀:

Do not let disappointment steal your faith.

Do not let a verdict shift your mission.

Do not let silence become the final word.

There may be appeals. There may be future investigations. There may yet be truth that still surfaces. But whatever happens in that courtroom, we must continue to pray. Fervently. Faithfully. Fiercely.

Pray for Judge Erasmus—his pen will write what generations will study.

Pray for Joshlin’s loved ones, whose pain doesn’t end with a gavel.

And most of all, pray for the return of Joshlin Smith.

𝗜 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲—𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗻, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴.

We’re not done. We’re not defeated. And we’re not distracted.

This was never just about a TRIAL. It was always about TRUTH.

Let’s hope against hope for what only God can reveal.

#JusticeForJoshlin #BringJoshlinHome #JoshlinSmith #PrayForJoshlin #SaUnite #KeepHopeAlive #GodIsAble #HopefulHeart