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• My father had gone to work early that day, as I remember it now, and I was going out the door to go to school when a thought danced in my head. I would take that paddle and dispose of it so that it could no longer be attached to my person.
• With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, it was not a perfect plan.
• I had forgotten about that and two days later, I got into some trouble. It was the kind of trouble that could be resolved only by that wooden paddle. My father went to get the paddle and to his chagrin, and my posterior harm, it was not there.
• Very seldom did my father paddle me when he was really angry. There was one case when that happened, and this was it. I will not repeat the lecture that he gave at that time, but I will say that it had a lasting impression upon my posterior. At that time, I wished he had been a man of fewer words.
• I know times have changed, but I am not sure they have changed for the better. There was a time when parents were in charge of children and responsible for the discipline. Sadly, that day is far gone.
• The only thing I would say is, are we better off today than we were back then?
• The Bible admonishes us, "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).
• Discipline, not abuse, is drastically needed among our children today. My father would put it this way, lack of discipline is a form of abuse.
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• Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, PO Box 831313, Ocala, FL 34483. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 1-866-552-2543 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net or website www.jamessnyderministries.com.
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