The Heavenly Father is still in the business of rescuing spiritual terrorists.
With the insight gained from a second season-of-life at parenting, Linda states it succinctly, "You can’t negotiate with a terrorist!"
I remember with great clarity having to coach a child’s first spanking. It was "date night" for the Rempels, and I had arrived home from the office just a little bit late. The babysitter was at our home, and Linda was ready to go. (Now this might be hard for most of you to comprehend, but back when our children were in need of a babysitter, cell phones had not yet been created!) If I had actually pulled myself free from the office as planned, we would have missed the call completely. (Imagine that…a life before answering machines had been installed as well!) But JUST as we headed out the door, the phone rang (Yup…pre-caller ID also). As Linda heard the distressed mother on the other end of the line, she indicated that I definitely ought to take the call. The crisis? Their son had run away from home. Well actually, their son WAS running away from home. He had done so earlier in the afternoon, but having traveled three blocks, he decided he needed to come back and get some clothing and a sandwich. At the time of the call, he was in his room wrapping up some clothes and the mother was desperately pleading for my intervention to prevent his leaving again as he was promising to do.
We parked along the street. Linda agreed to wait in the car. After all, this would only take a minute. The father was in the middle of the driveway so I greeted him and asked where his son was. He pointed down the street, a sort of smirk on his face, and said that he had just left again. Had a couple of shirts and a sandwich so he was now ready to strike out on his own. Then Dad asked me what he should do. I said, “You should call him back and when he gets here, tell him that if he leaves the yard again you will have to spank him.” At that the father began to shake a bit. He indicated that he had never, ever spanked his children (not a surprise to anyone who knew them at that season of their lives!). But he said the reason for that was that he himself had been "beaten" all the years he was growing up, and he simply could not shake that memory when considering physically correcting his children. I urged him to see it as loving correction and long-term instruction, not punishing retaliation for inconvenience or embarrassment.
Well, the four-year-old runaway went into the house and down the hall to the bedroom with his father. And the mother asked me to sit in the living room until this was over. You know the legendary, “If looks could kill…”? There was a glacier of ice between the desperate mother and their pastor. Obviously a "spanking" was not the answer she was looking for when the urgent call was made!
Soon a shaking, white-faced father came out of the bedroom and sank into his chair in the living room. I mean…literally shaking. The discipline had obviously taken a toll on the man. But almost immediately down the hallway came the four-year-old runaway, wiping tears from his cheeks. He glared at me…he scowled at his mom…and went straight to his Dad, climbed up on his lap, and laid his head on the teary-eyed father’s shoulder.
"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful…afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
In shocked amazement and verbalized gratitude the parents thanked me for my help and let me go. During this entire episode, Linda had been waiting patiently in the car at the curb. This was our Friday date night! I hurried out as quickly as I could, for I know all too well that you really CAN’T negotiate with a terrorist! :)
"He whom the Lord loves he disciplines, even as a father, the son in whom he delights." Proverbs 3:11
Has the Father demonstrated His unfailing and untiring love for you lately? Thank the Lord, He is still in the business of rescuing spiritual terrorists!
See you Sunday, Church!
Pastor Tom
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