Click!

Nope, I'm not referring to that Adam Sandler movie. Though it definitely was a thought provoking one. No, I'm referring more to the lightbulb clicking on inside my head. Or as my Honduran friend Luciano taught me "se me cayó el 20" ("the 20 cent coin landed"-think in terms of a vending machine and you can see how it works).

I'll start with the blonde "click" moment and then I'll tell you the other one.

This past week, I discovered something about my cell phone that I've now had for 13 months. After writing a text message, which is something I do several times a day, I have to erase the text in order to leave the editor. Well, the only way I'd ever been able to erase the text was to go back to the texting menu and erase the text from there. Well, on Wednesday or Thursday, I was erasing the message the slow way just hitting "erase" several times in a row. I happened to hold down to "erase" button longer than usual and it erased THE WHOLE TEXT!!! It was amazing!!!! I couldn't believe it! I'd figured there must be an easier way to do it, but I had never been able to figure that way out. And of course it never occurred to me to ask my friends who have similar phones... Oh silly me!

But here is the more interesting, deeper realization that clicked on last night. I'd always wondered about discipline in the Bible. I mean, I know our actions have consequences but sometimes it seems like God disciplines without reason. Like the whole Hebrews 12 passage about that never made much sense to me. Now, don't read too much into this, I'm no big theologian. But, last night the sermon at church was about the way God works with us and His discipline and it just kind of hit me.... There is a difference between discipline and punishment! And all of a sudden, it makes sense. God disciplines, not to slap us on the wrist, though sometimes I think He does that and we more than deserve it. But more than anything discipline is to make us grow, and be more humble and stronger. The beginning of Deuteronomy 8 is the passage we used last night explains it quite well:

¹ Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. ² Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. ⁴ Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. ⁵ Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

Isn't that neat? I hope I'm explaining myself ok. If you have something to add or think I'm way off base, please let me know!! Thanks!