As I sat in the living room of our rented apartment provided by my employer, we sat and talked; all of us. My wife and children love to just sit around and talk. It is wonderful. I love it and yet in some ways I try and do other things instead. Why? Most of my TV watching is useless drivel; a waste of my time. Time is a commodity and I often spend it unwisely leading to regrets later. My children have been pointing this out to me. I am starting to see it too. We began to talk of discipline. I was not doing the talking. It was the three of them.
"I definately think you did the right thing in spanking us. I don't remember you ever being cruel to us when you spanked us. It was always right! I mostly just remember us praying each time after you spanked us!" You see we were led to believe that if you love your child, then you will be careful to discipline them. Another proverb actually says that He who does not discipline his child, HATES his son! That one, I thought, was harsh. But God's word is true whether we want to accept it or not. Then my son said something. He is the one who my wife would call me about sometimes saying, 'I have had to discipline this boy 10 times today. I just don't think it's working. I can't stand it! I hate doing this. He just isn't getting it!' It was hard for me to hear those things but would usually have to take care of it when I got home. We doubted at times that we were doing the right thing. We hear it all over the media by the so-called experts; it is wrong to spank; it is abusive, you should never spank, time-outs are the way to go, it is cruel to hit a child. These things were always out there telling us we were wrong. God says to be careful to discipline your children and in so doing save them from death! That sounds kinda harsh too!
Anyways, it was Michael who floored me with his comment, "I think that disciplining us was the best thing you ever did for any of us."
I could barely believe my ears! What a blessing to hear such confidence from our own kids! They don't remember EVER being hit! They remember being guided lovingly to learn self-control. Thank you God!