Last Wednesday night, I was on my way to church. I was running behind, and I was upset that I was going to be late for worship. I happened to be talking to Josh (on my headphones, of course) and out of nowhere, I saw the flashing lights of an officer behind me. I pulled to the side of the road, and the officer told me that he had pulled me over for speeding. The boys kept asking me questions once "Officer Ruin-my-night" had taken my necessary info back to his car. Bryson was so sweet, because as we sat there waiting...and waiting....he said:
"Mom, if he gives you a ticket....I will pay for it with my car money."
To which I said, "No, Bryson. You have to save that money. If I get a ticket, the Lord will provide and it will be my punishment for driving too fast."
"But, mom....seriously...I want to pay for it. You don't even have money to pay for that. I want to do it for you- for being the best mom in the whole world."
And....that's when the waterworks started!! I had held it together, up until that point. My boy- who can make me insanely crazy at times- was so loving, caring, and endearing in that moment....right when I needed a little bit of encouragement. The boys were so concerned for me, and it was just so sweet.
After our little conversation, and after I did indeed get a ticket, we drove on to church. As we continued to drive....I used those few minutes as a lesson for Bryson (as well as myself). I told him that I was disciplined for doing something wrong. I told him that what happened to me was the same thing that happens to him, when he chooses to disobey the rules. The officer wrote me up because that's his job. I discipline Bryson because that's my job and because I love him. And...it's the Lord's job to discipline those of us whom He loves. The discipline stinks. We don't like it. But, we can rest assured that the discipline is done out of His perfect love for us.
We can be thankful for those times that grace is extended to us. "Officer Ruin-my-night" could have extended grace and mercy to me....but he didn't. There are times I could extend the same to my children...and I don't. There are times that the Lord allows us to be taught a lesson as well. The difference between the officer, myself, and God is that the Lord's discipline is divine. It's perfect. It's what is best for us. We may not like it...but we can know that there is a plan in it all. I sure didn't like signing that ticket. I don't like the thought of forking over several hundred dollars, or attending traffic school. I did learn lessons that night, though. And, in a way, it was really neat that the boys were with me...and they could learn something from my wrongdoing as well.
"You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you." --Deut. 8:5
"For whom the Lord loves He chastens...." --Heb. 12:6
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