I Want My Cars Back

     




        My son lost every single car last night. Hotwheels, matchbox cars, and even mini skate boards. Even the ones he hid in his backpack and underwear (yes I'm talking about the pair he was wearing). Though the punishment seem severe, I needed to the punishment to match the crime. While fixing supper, Elijah and Tori were playing in her room when Tori hit her brother. Elijah retaliated by hitting her square on the bridge of her little nose, splitting it wide open. I hear the screams of injustice and injury, rushing to Tori's room to see blood pouring down her little face and the look of panic in Elijah's eyes. Looking like a deer caught in the headlights, Elijah immediately said, "She made me do it, she hit me first." Remaining as calm as I possibly could be given the natural state of my high strung personality, I sent him to his room while cleaning up Tori's war wounds.
         Because Elijah knew what he did was wrong, I opted to do use a form of discipline that would carry heavy consequences for the wee lad. Instead of having consequences for just him, it did for me too as I listened to him scream for two hours about missing his cars, not to mention he followed me around the house looking forlorn and out of place without his wheels.
         It reminds me of many life lessons where I ignored what God's expectations in obedience. When I chose to walk away and ignore what He is telling me, why then do I get upset over the natural consequences? The Bible is full of characters that didn't heed God's word, serious consequences were brought upon each of them, but there is hope. God showed mercy time and again and reminds me that it's never too let to own up to our mistakes, accept the consequences because He gives us grace. This morning I gave Elijah his cars back, to which he replied he promises to not hit his sister anymore. The consequences of losing his cars are still vivid in his mind and I'm hoping that I too will keep the pain of life lessons in mind when I want to disobey.