Delayed Gratification

(Pro 29:17 KJV) Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

As I parent I would like to add a footnote here.  The “delight” (5474) might not be obvious at the time of correction.  In fact I would say that it will be well hidden.  Disciplining children is not fun.  It is not affirming.  It does build character both in the child and the parent.  It is necessary.

Currently I am reliving experiences of 38 years ago when our firstborn was a toddler.  I am not getting a refresher course in toddlerhood with my granddaughter.  The good part of it is that the real responsibility belongs to my daughter.  Since we did a good job on her years ago we can now delight in her doing a good job with the next generation.

So?  Sometimes the gratification is delayed no matter what you do.  If you are still in the early years of training you have my sympathy but hang in there, pay the price, go the extra mile and delight in the results.  Sometime.  Better than my promise is God’s promise.