Trials and Suffering

I am beaming as a father today. My daughter did something that made me punish her. I felt it appropriate that since she did not listen to me and my request that she would loose out on one of the privileges she was so used to having. So morning came and she Got frustrated. She knew I was sticking to my punishment and I was not going to let up. As I walked her to the door I asked her for a Kiss and she refused. I asked for a hug and she did the same. So I continued to walk her to the door and she says to me Dad. Are you doing this because you love me or because you want to see me suffer. I looked at her and I said. Mary I love you foremost. But suffering is a part of consequence. She looked at me and she hugged me and kissed me.

I believe sometimes when God gives us consequences for our actions we like my daughter get angry. We decide to pout in our rooms, arms folded, refusing to hug or kiss God or get intimate at all to some level with our Heavenly father. But as a father I can tell you when I saw my daughter take the consequence live it out and learn from it. I was beaming. I am so proud of my daughter today.

I believe our Heavenly father has the same attitude towards the trials and suffering in our lives. I was not happy giving the consequence but the result was a daughter who understood my love was respectful of it and I believe we got closer today than in a very long while. As a parent don't shy away from discipline don't shelter your children from consequences. Love them through it, don't back down. This is my lesson for the day. I am a beaming father. And I realize now that though times may get rough, trials may come. If I love God through it, thank him for the lesson, learn from it. I will not only have a better relationship to God I will also grow to be a person who can endure adversity and not make it an excuse to give up but a reason to move forward.