Discipline

The other day Robin and Lois visited a friend.  One of the things that they told me about was an incident between the mother and her son.  The son was having a conflict with his mother so the mother said, “I think you need a 15 minute time out.”  The son quickly responded with “10 minutes!”  The mother shot back, “20 minutes.”   Hoping to reduce his sentence, he shouted, “15 minutes!”  The mother declared, “25 minutes.”  The boy started to say something, but as he turned to his mother and as their eyes met, the gush of words stopped as his lips pressed together.  When their eyes met, it was as if the boy understood that if he persisted in this conversation, it would end in disaster for him.  Instead, the boy turned and went to his room.

Robin and Lois’ words painted a scene that would have made a wonderful Norman Rockwell portrait and it made me wish that I was there to behold it.  This morning it reminded me of what Solomon said in Proverbs 3:11:

My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke because the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father the son He delights in.  Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding…

How wonderful would it be for me, if when life happens, when things do not go my way, and when I don’t get what I want, that I would look into His eyes and see His face and accept His sovereignty in my life.  Life would be so much more peaceful.