I have to share what happened yesterday afternoon at my home. If you read my previous entry, you know that I was having a "Monday" kind of Monday yesterday (if this makes no sense, go back & read the previous blog entry
)
Anyway, by the time I got home after work, I was really tired and fighting a huge headache. Because I live in a multi-generational household, there is always someone to keep an eye on my son, so I am blessed to be able to lay down for a while if the need arises.... and yesterday afternoon the need had arisen.
So, after letting the family, including my son, know I was home.... I took some pain reliever and went to my bed to take a little well deserved nap. All was well... I drifted off to sleep easily.... I guess I had been asleep for about 15 minutes or so... and then - BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! - right in my ear! Up I flew.... out of the bed and across the room!
My wonderful, intelligent, awesome child, whom I love more than anything, had gotten two empty plastic soda bottles out of the trash and decided to scare mom by beating them together in her ear! Let me tell you my reaction....
NOT pleasant at all! If you have never been awoken from a peaceful slumber like this - pray that you aren't - ever!
My dear, precious child was now faced with an angry, half-crazed mother! After much yelling on my part, and a lack of remorse or apology on his part, I told him he had been very mean to me and I proceeded to give him the cold shoulder. WOW! He didn't like that one little bit. In addition, I told him that once he was good and asleep that night, he was going to find out exactly how it felt to be awakened in that manner. I think he belived me... I got the wide-eyed stare of fright! 
The afternoon progressed and he tried to get my attention to no avail. Supper time came and he was so distressed he couldn't eat. Then it happened... my strong-willed, tough little boy broke down... and said it... "I'm sorry". Believe me, he meant it.
Oh happy day!!
Hugs were given.... apology was accepted and the fear of mom's revenge was gone. My precious son was able to eat a fine meal and we were once again the happy little family.
What is the point of this little story.....?
Sometimes teaching wisdom to your children can be painful. Although it really wasn't my intention, I was able to impart the lesson of consequences for actions to my son. What he thought would be something "funny" turned out to be a lesson in respect for others.
We can all learn from this experience. When we are mean to others in an attempt to be funny it is no laughing matter. We should always take into account the feelings of others and take care to treat each other with respect.
In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. Hebrews 12:4 (Message)