Thanking for a Spanking
It was the same old story -- Big Mike was in trouble again. Mike was the biggest boy in the sixth grade class, and hardly a day went by that he didn’t get sent to the principal’s office. Mike came back into the room after being sent down for a spanking and sat down at his desk. Jason thought Mike looked sad about something.
Jason shook his head and forced his eyes back on to his English assignment. Why did Mike always get into trouble? It seemed like he didn’t even try to do better, nor did he try not to get caught. No matter what the teacher said, Mike ended up doing the exact opposite, and he’d be in trouble again.
The bell rang, and Jason knew it was time to go home. He picked up his books, grabbed his coat and lunch box, and started down the hall for the bus. He hoped to have time for a game of basketball before dark. He still had Big Mike on his mind when he noticed that Mike was just in front of him, but walking very slowly and seeming not to notice that anyone else was around. Just before Jason caught up to tell Mike about the game of basketball, Mike stopped right in front of the principal’s office and knocked on the door! “What in the world does he want to go in there for? He just came out of there! Is he crazy, or what?” wondered Jason silently.
The principal, Mr. Henry, opened the door, and mirrored the same surprise. “Why, Mike! I thought you just left here. Do you need something else?”
Mike looked down at the scuff mark on the toe of his shoe. “Well, uh, I mean, uh, well, I guess I just wanted to say thanks and I’m sorry, Mr. Henry.” Mike turned and ran on down the hallway toward the bus parked out front.
Jason didn’t realize that he was standing there with his mouth wide open and staring after Mike in disbelief. Mr. Henry saw Jason standing there, and knew what he must be thinking. “I guess you haven’t ever thanked anyone for a spanking before, have you Jason?”
“Uh, no, I don’t think so,” stammered Jason in return. He went on down the hall in a puzzled state.
That night after supper and homework, Dad told Jason it was time to get ready for bed. Jason turned absent-mindedly toward the stairs, when Dad called him back. “Son, you seem to have had something on your mind all evening. Do you want to tell me about it?”
Jason snapped back to the present. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve just been thinking about something that happened at school today. You know Big Mike who is in my class? Well, he’s been getting in a lot of trouble lately, and he got a spanking from the principal again today.” Dad nodded to show that he knew who Jason was talking about. “Well, before we left school, Mike didn’t know that I was right behind him, and he stopped to see Mr. Henry and said thank you. I’ve been trying to figure out for a long time why Mike gets into so much trouble on purpose, and now I really can’t figure this one out.”
Jason’s dad smiled, and said, “Well, I probably don’t know all about it, but I might be able to help you understand just a little better. You know that Mike doesn’t have a dad at home, don’t you? And Mike’s mom has to work most evenings, so he is either at home by himself or he stays at his aunt’s house. I think Mike may feel like he doesn’t belong or that he isn’t important to anybody.”
“Oh,” said Jason. “I can see that, but if I wanted to belong I’d rather have someone play with me or smile at me than spank me. What is there to be thankful for in a spanking?”
“Well, Jason, I’m sure that you remember some spankings that you’ve received in your life, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir, I do,” he smiled sheepishly.
“When Mom or I have to spank you, why do we do it?”
“Because I have disobeyed.”
“That’s right,” said Dad. “Now can you think of any reasons why we wouldn’t let you go on and keep disobeying without getting a spanking?”
“Well, the time I tried to start your boat motor in the garage, you were afraid I would get hurt on the propeller blade.”
“Yes, son, there have been many times when disobedience could have caused you a great deal of harm and pain, so it was better to teach you obedience with a little bit of temporary discomfort through a spanking. Do you remember when your little brother, Sammy, ran across the street and was almost hit by that car after he was given strict orders not to cross the street? The spanking he got was to protect him from doing the same thing again and being hurt.”
“I guess there is something to be thankful for about a spanking,” replied Jason.
“But son, there’s more. Why wouldn’t Mom and I want you to be hurt by your disobedience. Why do parents even care whether you obey or disobey?”
“That’s easy. Because you love me.”
“Then don’t you see why someone like Mike would want to feel loved, and be assured that there is someone who really cares about what happens to him?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Son, there’s one more thing. Do you remember when you were eight and I told you not to go fishing at the river without me?”
“Yes, and I let that kid down the street talk me into doing it anyway.”
“Well, you’re the only one I spanked, even though he was just as guilty. Do you know why?”
“Well, sir, that’s a pretty easy one, too. I am your son, and he’s not.”
“Yes, that spanking was because you belong to me and I love you too much to let you disobey and stray into danger. Now son, a boy like Mike probably hasn’t had many spankings when he did wrong, and he may even feel like no one really even cares enough about what happens to him. I’m sure that he misses having a dad to teach him and love him and hold him accountable for doing the right thing. Mike probably doesn’t even understand why he felt thankful for that spanking, he just knew that he needed it.”
“I never thought I’d feel thankful for a spanking, but I am pretty thankful for all those things. I guess I’d better say thanks for all the spankings that you’ve given me, even though I wasn’t very thankful when I got them!” said Jason. “Thanks Dad, I love you.” Jason turned again to go up the stairs.
“One more lesson,” said Dad. “Have you ever heard the word ‘chastisement’?”
“Doesn’t that mean that God also spanks His children when they disobey Him?”
“Yes, it does. And for the same reasons that He tells parents to discipline their children. When God spanks His children, it proves that He loves us too much to let us ruin our lives in sin and suffer the pain that it causes. He cares about what happens to us. That spanking is to teach me to do right the next time. Mainly, it just proves that we’re really saved and born into God’s family, and He is being a Father in our lives. That’s something to be thankful for, don’t you think? Boys and girls who have parents who love them enough to teach them to do what is right and spank them for doing wrong have a lot to be thankful for, and Christians, who belong to their Heavenly Father, can thank Him for chastening them when they disobey Him, too.”
Jason shook his head and forced his eyes back on to his English assignment. Why did Mike always get into trouble? It seemed like he didn’t even try to do better, nor did he try not to get caught. No matter what the teacher said, Mike ended up doing the exact opposite, and he’d be in trouble again.
The bell rang, and Jason knew it was time to go home. He picked up his books, grabbed his coat and lunch box, and started down the hall for the bus. He hoped to have time for a game of basketball before dark. He still had Big Mike on his mind when he noticed that Mike was just in front of him, but walking very slowly and seeming not to notice that anyone else was around. Just before Jason caught up to tell Mike about the game of basketball, Mike stopped right in front of the principal’s office and knocked on the door! “What in the world does he want to go in there for? He just came out of there! Is he crazy, or what?” wondered Jason silently.
The principal, Mr. Henry, opened the door, and mirrored the same surprise. “Why, Mike! I thought you just left here. Do you need something else?”
Mike looked down at the scuff mark on the toe of his shoe. “Well, uh, I mean, uh, well, I guess I just wanted to say thanks and I’m sorry, Mr. Henry.” Mike turned and ran on down the hallway toward the bus parked out front.
Jason didn’t realize that he was standing there with his mouth wide open and staring after Mike in disbelief. Mr. Henry saw Jason standing there, and knew what he must be thinking. “I guess you haven’t ever thanked anyone for a spanking before, have you Jason?”
“Uh, no, I don’t think so,” stammered Jason in return. He went on down the hall in a puzzled state.
That night after supper and homework, Dad told Jason it was time to get ready for bed. Jason turned absent-mindedly toward the stairs, when Dad called him back. “Son, you seem to have had something on your mind all evening. Do you want to tell me about it?”
Jason snapped back to the present. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve just been thinking about something that happened at school today. You know Big Mike who is in my class? Well, he’s been getting in a lot of trouble lately, and he got a spanking from the principal again today.” Dad nodded to show that he knew who Jason was talking about. “Well, before we left school, Mike didn’t know that I was right behind him, and he stopped to see Mr. Henry and said thank you. I’ve been trying to figure out for a long time why Mike gets into so much trouble on purpose, and now I really can’t figure this one out.”
Jason’s dad smiled, and said, “Well, I probably don’t know all about it, but I might be able to help you understand just a little better. You know that Mike doesn’t have a dad at home, don’t you? And Mike’s mom has to work most evenings, so he is either at home by himself or he stays at his aunt’s house. I think Mike may feel like he doesn’t belong or that he isn’t important to anybody.”
“Oh,” said Jason. “I can see that, but if I wanted to belong I’d rather have someone play with me or smile at me than spank me. What is there to be thankful for in a spanking?”
“Well, Jason, I’m sure that you remember some spankings that you’ve received in your life, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir, I do,” he smiled sheepishly.
“When Mom or I have to spank you, why do we do it?”
“Because I have disobeyed.”
“That’s right,” said Dad. “Now can you think of any reasons why we wouldn’t let you go on and keep disobeying without getting a spanking?”
“Well, the time I tried to start your boat motor in the garage, you were afraid I would get hurt on the propeller blade.”
“Yes, son, there have been many times when disobedience could have caused you a great deal of harm and pain, so it was better to teach you obedience with a little bit of temporary discomfort through a spanking. Do you remember when your little brother, Sammy, ran across the street and was almost hit by that car after he was given strict orders not to cross the street? The spanking he got was to protect him from doing the same thing again and being hurt.”
“I guess there is something to be thankful for about a spanking,” replied Jason.
“But son, there’s more. Why wouldn’t Mom and I want you to be hurt by your disobedience. Why do parents even care whether you obey or disobey?”
“That’s easy. Because you love me.”
“Then don’t you see why someone like Mike would want to feel loved, and be assured that there is someone who really cares about what happens to him?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Son, there’s one more thing. Do you remember when you were eight and I told you not to go fishing at the river without me?”
“Yes, and I let that kid down the street talk me into doing it anyway.”
“Well, you’re the only one I spanked, even though he was just as guilty. Do you know why?”
“Well, sir, that’s a pretty easy one, too. I am your son, and he’s not.”
“Yes, that spanking was because you belong to me and I love you too much to let you disobey and stray into danger. Now son, a boy like Mike probably hasn’t had many spankings when he did wrong, and he may even feel like no one really even cares enough about what happens to him. I’m sure that he misses having a dad to teach him and love him and hold him accountable for doing the right thing. Mike probably doesn’t even understand why he felt thankful for that spanking, he just knew that he needed it.”
“I never thought I’d feel thankful for a spanking, but I am pretty thankful for all those things. I guess I’d better say thanks for all the spankings that you’ve given me, even though I wasn’t very thankful when I got them!” said Jason. “Thanks Dad, I love you.” Jason turned again to go up the stairs.
“One more lesson,” said Dad. “Have you ever heard the word ‘chastisement’?”
“Doesn’t that mean that God also spanks His children when they disobey Him?”
“Yes, it does. And for the same reasons that He tells parents to discipline their children. When God spanks His children, it proves that He loves us too much to let us ruin our lives in sin and suffer the pain that it causes. He cares about what happens to us. That spanking is to teach me to do right the next time. Mainly, it just proves that we’re really saved and born into God’s family, and He is being a Father in our lives. That’s something to be thankful for, don’t you think? Boys and girls who have parents who love them enough to teach them to do what is right and spank them for doing wrong have a lot to be thankful for, and Christians, who belong to their Heavenly Father, can thank Him for chastening them when they disobey Him, too.”
