Love means Limits

Daelyn, glancing sideways at me in a booth at Arby's while chewing on a chicken finger:
"I love you, Mommy. And when you spank me, I know YOU love me. You're my best Mommy."

Could it be that he's getting it? Hard to imagine in a 3-yr. old, but maybe it's true. His capacity for love and affection certainly has deepened recently.

Last week, I was with Deanna and someone was talking about how they spanked their children out of love. I caught Deanna's eye and she was smiling at me. "Do you get that, little girl?" I asked.

"Yes, Mama, I really do," she replied. "I know that it's parents that don't care about their children that don't discipline them. It's like the Bible talks about, 'the Lord disciplines those whom He loves'." She smiled again, quite proud that she understood discipline to be a loving thing to prepare her for the hard world, not torture.

I smiled, too, remembering how hard it was to spank her when she was little. She was so-o-o-o sweet and loving and joyful. Her daddy went to our bedroom, laid on the bed, and cried the first time he had to spank her. But she was always happier after a spanking, knowing where her limits were. And even Daddy could see that.

I pray often that the fruit of our discipline will be happy, contented children that understand the limits society, prudence, kindness, and God put on them and easily live within those limits. It seems we might be getting somewhere.