Castigar

Ok.
    I am good at most of what we do. Meeting people, talking to them, making them feel at ease   even though I am butchering their language... We play games and have conversations, looking for those "teachable moments", hoping to set up deeper interaction in bible study and spiritual conversations down the road.
    But the kids who come around, especially the younger kids that we have right now, are not what you would call well-adjusted. Some of them are only a few steps from downright feral. So, you can imagine, even with our influence, they aren't exactly angels. It would be just as easy to take pictures of our kids running from the police as it would be to see them smiling, playing Uno. We knew that before we came, but as we realize how necessary it is, I have to admit that I am not good at the punishment stuff.
    We are not their parents, so the only thing we have to hold over them is ourselves. If they can't share, if they get into fistfights, if they are disrespectful or use filthy language, they can't hang out with us and are back out onto the street for a while.
    In the heat of the moment- when they are being ugly- you don't feel bad about kicking them out. It's when they beg to be allowed back- that's when it's hard. When they sit on the curb across the street for hours and sulk because they have nowhere else to go. I mean, can I really tell these little munchkins (gremlins, more like...) that they can't come back for several days?!
Here's where I am learning about God. Punishment is part of his love for us. I can't imagine what it must be like to punish your own child. How my parent's hearts must have broken to take a hard line with me when I needed it. But, I am realizing, without punishment, there's no healing from our mistakes. Sitting and pouting, across the street from God's perfect Love, we realize how much we want to be back in it- and are thankful when he forgives us.
    "Sweet" little Johan (pictured above) stole our cellphone the other week and he has refused to come back since. If he would apologize, we would work something out, but how many times have I done the same thing- trying to keep from facing the music with God? Being bad at this "parenting" continues to convince me what a good Father we have.
    I am learning that grace only means something after the sting of being removed from God's goodness. And love is only Love when it admonishes as well as it hugs.
    I guess I should have known this already, but... like I said, I'm not good at the punishment stuff. But I'm learning.