The Wooden Spoon

When I was little...maybe most of my childhood life, I was in trouble constantly. I don't remember a lot of things I did, but I remember being spanked! That's a hurtin' you'll never forget. But obviously for me it took several years to get tired of it. My dad mostly gave me the leather belt, or his hand across my butt a few times. I tried everything to delay the spanking..from locking my door, to manipulating the situation, or even having a better attitude and being REAllY sorry. But do you think that worked? No!! It made the number go up, as well as the strength! Not a smart idea huh? Thinking about those memories doesn't make me laugh, however, when I think about my mama trying to get me I laugh silently inside. Her weapon of choice, the wooden spoon. To this day at 20 I look at a wooden spoon and remember my mama chasing me through the house swatting at me with it. She'd yell, "Don't you run from me, Allison!" I'd laugh so hard that it would slow me down from running from her. Then she'd get me good, and it wasn't so funny anymore. For years this went on. First off, why a wooden spoon? How was it so convenient to reach for?
I find it rather funny, for Christmas this past year, I asked my mom what she wanted for Christmas. She said, "Some wooden spoons" WHAT!!!??? I guess I did owe her, she broke countless wooden spoons on me. We were down to 1...somehow that one survived. So I got my mama some wooden spoons for Christmas...oh the memories!
I remember church too. Boy, you don't want to cut up in church. My mom would grab a hunk of skin and pinch me, mumbling under her breath, "You'd better straighten up right now, I will take out back and wear you out! Do you hear me?" Yeah, those were the days.
So, some might ask if I will spank my children after reading this. I'm not traumatized by being chased by a mad mama with a wooden spoon...I was a difficult child, difficult children need some discipline. My answer is yes, I will spank my children...No not beat them...give em' a little smack across the rear end. I turned out quite alright...so did a bunch of other kids my age who were spanked. Little Bob is not going to learn to shut up in church if his mama kisses him, and tells him to be quiet in a sweet, cute tone of voice. You yank the kid by the arm, look him in the eye and tell him to sit down, be quiet or he's going out back to be wore out. And if he's like me, he'll try you until it really does happen, and learns, "Oh, mama's serious when she says wear you out."
This is just my opinion, it may sound mean, but our Father in Heaven is the same way with us. We mess up, and oh yeah he'll forgive us, but a hurtin' might be coming, He disciplines us. He teaches us to fear Him, because He loves us. We constantly are learning from the care of our Father, God. The more we learn, the more we know better than to do things. Just as our children learn, they know better than to do somethings.
It's all a cycle.