September 16, 2010 - Hebrews 12:5 - Discipline

"My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
or lose heart when you are punished by him;
for the Lord disciplines those whom He loves,
and chastises every child whom He accepts."

Quite frankly, discipline is not something I'm all that great at. I chafe at rules, cannot stand to be boxed in, am claustrophobic in more ways than one. So when Fr. Rob suggested that discipline might me something I would want to work on, I groaned inwardly.

For a while, you remember, I was quite disciplined about adding to this website. I would get up in the morning, and find a Bible passage that spoke to me, and then write about it. It was fulfilling, and helped me to think and focus on God every day.

But I strayed, my friends. I strayed badly. And it is only through the discipline and love of the Lord that I have found my way back to the path. There is a song on Christian radio that speaks to my condition (as the Quakers say). "When your tired flesh has squandered what your spirit would have saved, and your restless feet have wandered far from all you truly crave, turn and run toward your Father; do not wait another day. For His arms are open and He is calling you today."

My friends, do not chafe under the discipline of God. True repentance comes from feeling in your heart that the greatest sin is wandering away from God, from His love, from His commandments, from His care, from His mercy. The greatest sin is refusing to reach for the only Hand that can save you.

It is not too late. If you have wandered far from God, turn today. Do not shun His discipline, for with the discipline is love, and tenderness and mercy. Do not wait another day.

Love and Blessings, Phoenix (who is back to being Phoenix again...older, wiser (I hope), and most of all, forgiven.)