When I was growing up I actually got into a lot of trouble.  Yeah, I know hard to believe, right?  But, I did, and I must say I had some amazing parents that loved me enough to try and set my ways straight.  Although at the time I didn’t think they were very loving, always taking away my fun, (so I thought), always telling me that I couldn’t do those things I wanted to do.  I am sure if you talked to my mom you would hear all about how much trouble I got into.  If I could look back and make up a name for me as a kid it would have to be sticky fingers, because I would do a lot of shopping with the five finger discount.  (Taking things that weren’t mine for you that don’t understand that discount).

I actually wasn’t very good at it because I kept getting caught.  The first time getting caught, my uncle was going to LA for a fun trip at Knotts Berry Farm and he invited me to go.  I was so excited that I was going to be able to ride the roller coasters and take a road trip for the first time to LA.  About a week before the trip, we were all hanging out at my grandmas house for dinner and I had found a jar of quarters in the drawer of my other uncle’s room.  The thought came to me, if I had more money I could buy more things at Knotts.  So I secretly started to fill my pockets with the quarters, and then asked my mom for the keys to the car.  How she didn’t hear the jingle, I don’t know. I got the keys and went to the car to hide them in there.  I thought I was safe and home free with more money.  But, when I got home, my mom found the cash and asked me where I got it from.  I wasn’t a good liar but tried to make up a story which she read right through me.

Finally I had confessed where I got them from.  When she found out she said go to your room, because she had to talk to my dad.  Gulp, I knew that wasn’t going to be good.  So I went to the room and waited.  A couple minutes later I heard walking down the hall, and as much as I tried to embrace what was going to happen, I couldn’t ever be ready for what he had in his hand.  “Travis” he said as he pulled out THE WOODEN SPOON!  My heart stopped with fear, and tears ran down my cheeks, and all I could think about was the pain that was about ready to take over my butt!  He said, “bend over”, and the whole world stopped, every swing that connected sent a shock through my body.  That pain!  I still remember it!

I look back at that time not in resentment or anger towards my parents but in thankfulness for having enough love to teach me not to walk in the ways of evil.  At the time I hated them for it and really didn’t fully understand why they did it.  The pain was horrific, but I can tell you that that little pain on my butt is nothing compared to the path I could have walked down if they weren’t willing to discipline me for my wrong doings.

Discipline in love is so critical and we shouldn’t be afraid to do it, especially if we love them.  Even God disciplines those He loves, because without it, we will walk straight into the path of destruction.  We need to stop looking at discipline as a bad thing, or somebody trying to stop our happiness, when done in love and for the benefit of that person it will save them from a life of hurt and pain in the future.  True love is doing what is right, not always doing what you want.

Don’t walk down the road to destruction, and don’t let the people you love go that route either.