Despise?

When I was a child and I got disciplined, I thought my parents didn't like me one bit.  That was partly because I seemed to get disciplined a lot.  I would get so frustrated but dared not voice my frustration for fear of even more discipline.

When I got to the Army, the discipline was even harsher and much more frequent.  Again, I was frustrated because it didn't seem fair at the time.  It wasn't until after Basic Training that it all sank in.  I was sitting in a Chapel Service one Sunday, and the Chaplain was talking about discipline.  Just as I was about to stop listening, she said something interesting: "God disciplines us, as well.  Sometimes He allows us to follow our own way and when we end up face down in the mire, He'll reach down and lift us up again and ask us, 'Was this worth it?'."

I don't quote often, but I found a good one in the book I am reading by Chuck Swindoll called "Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives": "Sometimes the Lord will let us have our way, knowing we will be hurt. Because He's good, we know that if there were a better way to teach us, He'd use it. Unfortunately, painful experience is usually the only way we will learn. Painful consequences play a major role in maturing us."

My Dad has done this same thing to me before, letting me go right ahead and fail (and fall).  Did it hurt?  NO DOUBT!!  Did I learn? I believe so because I haven't duplicated any of those stunts since.  And God does the same with us.  My Grampa once told me, "The quicker you learn, the quicker you will not do this again."  And, as usual, Grampa was right.