Cliff Barrows, one of the big three that made up the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, once told of the time his two young children did something wrong. Although they were gently warned, they repeated the offense and needed to be disciplined. Cliff’s tender heart was pained at the thought of having to punish the ones he loved. So, he called Bobbie and Bettie into his room, removed his belt and shirt, and with bare back he knelt by his bed. He told each child to whip him 10 times. Oh, how they cried! But the penalty had to be paid. The children sobbed as they lashed their daddy’s back. Then Cliff hugged and kissed them, and they prayed together. “It hurt,” he recalled, “but I never had to spank them again.”

That story illustrates what Paul meant when he wrote, “God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Have you ever paid the price for someone else’s wrong? Tell us about that.

Tags: children, penalty, substitute

Dr. James Dobson, founder and president of Focus on the Family, tells the following story about the difficulty of submission:

In the absence of parental leadership, some children become extremely obnoxious and defiant, especially in public places. Perhaps the best example was a 10-year old boy named Robert, who was a patient of my good friend, Dr. William Slonecker. Dr. Slonecker said his pediatric staff dreaded the days when Robert was scheduled for an office visit. He literally attacked the clinic, grabbing instruments and files and telephones. His passive mother could do little more than shake her head in bewilderment.

During one physical examination, Dr. Slonecker observed severe cavities in Robert’s teeth and knew that the boy must be referred to a local dentist. But who would be given the honor? A referral like Robert could mean the end of a professional friendship. Dr. Slonecker eventually decided to send him to an older dentist who reportedly understood children. The confrontation that followed now stands as one of the classic moments in the history of human conflict.

Robert arrived in the dental office, prepared for battle. “Get in the chair, young man,” said the doctor. “No chance!” replied the boy.

“Son, I told you to climb onto the chair, and that’s what I intend for you to do,” said the dentist. Robert stared at his opponent for a moment and then replied, “If you make me get in that chair, I will take off all my clothes.”

The dentist calmly said, “Son, take them off.” The boy forthwith removed his shirt, undershirt, shoes and socks, and then looked up in defiance.

“All right, son,” said the dentist. “Now get in the chair.” “You didn’t hear me, “sputterd Robert. “I said if you make me get on that chair, I will take off all my clothes.”

“Son, take them off,” replied the dentist. Robert proceeded to remove his pants and shorts, finally standing totally naked before the dentist and his assistant.

“Now, son, get in the chair,” said the doctor. Robert did as he was told, and sat cooperatively through the entire procedure. When the cavities were drilled and filled, he was instructed to step down from the chair.

“Give me my clothes now,” said the boy. “I’m sorry,” replied the dentist. “Tell your mother that we’re going to keep your clothes tonight. She can pick them up tomorrow.”

Can you comprehend the shock Robert’s mother received when the door to the waiting room opened, and there stood her pink son, as naked as the day he was born? The room was filled with patients, but Robert and his mom walked past them and into the hall. They went down the public elevator and into the parking lot, ignoring the snickers of onlookers.

The next day, Robert’s mother returned to retrieve his clothes, and asked to have a word with the dentist. However, she did not come to protest. These were her sentiments: “You don’t know how much I appreciate what happened here yesterday. You see, Robert has been blackmailing me about his clothes for years. Whenever we are in a public place, such as a grocery store, he makes unreasonable demands of me. If I don’t immediately buy him what he wants, he threatens to take off all his clothes. You are the first person who called his bluff, and the impact on Robert has been incredible.

What is your take on the dentist’s action? Was that a good or bad thing to do?

Tags: children, discipline, Dobson, submission

Monday was my day off and I was enjoying sitting in the family room listening to my 7-year old granddaughter and 3-year old grandson play together.They were apparently playing house and my granddaughter, Lauren, was taking the role of the dominate wife and Reuben was playing the role of the passive husband, ignoring her, just like the real thing.

Lauren said, “Now, Reuben, I know you don’t like buying me Christmas presents, and you really don’t like wrapping them, so why don’t you just not bother. Make it easy on yourself and just make it in tens and twenties.” Fortunately, I had the newspaper up over my face, because I just about lost it. I think those two kids have marriage down pretty well already.

What have you heard a kid saying recently?

Tags: children, Christmas, marriage

Back in the middle 1980s our church was known as Calvary Chapel and we were worshiping in the brick building located between the Waterloo Elementary School and the Waterloo Library (now owned by Head Start). Our church was small and I served as the Jack-of-all-Trades in the maintenance end of things. This building, constructed in the early 1950s, had overhangs on both sides of the sanctuary which concealed long fluorescent tubes that reflected light off the ceiling.

One day one of those light tubes needed replaced. I got out the stepladder and crawled up there to replace it. While up there I discovered a Welch’s grape juice bottle cap that said, “Howdy’s Favorite Drink”, and a picture of Howdy Doody. Apparently some kid had thrown it up there decades earlier when his/her parents were preparing communion.

I kept that cap in my office as a reminder that our church is always about children. When the Head Start system purchased the old building and renovated it, I was asked to officiate at the official dedication of the new Head Start program. After I had finished speaking, I presented the Howdy Doody bottle cap to the Director of the Head Start program reminding her the building had always been about children. She was delighted.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever found?

Tags: children, communion, Howdy Doody

Sometimes children teach the best lessons. Virginia Bette had such a lesson when her 4-year old Granddaughter, Caitlin, was impatient for a sibling. One morning she told her mother, “Maybe if we both prayed out loud, God would hear us.”

So they prayed together. As soon as they finished, Caitlin asked, “What did He say?” Her mother explained that it doesn’t work that way; sometimes it takes a long time to get an answer. Caitlin was indignant: “Do you mean we were praying to an answering machine?”

What lessons has a kid taught you?

Tags: children, humor, patience, prayer

Richard Halverson, former chaplain of the U. S. Senate, told of a senator who was called upon by an evangelical group to explain why prayer was outlawed from public schools. The senator stood before the crowd and began by asking them two questions.

“How many of you really want prayer returned to public schools?” he began. Everyone’s had shot up with conviction.

“Second,” he continued, “How many of you dear people took time in the last 24 hours to pray with your own children in your own home?” This time, only a few hands were raised, and other group members squirmed in their seats.

The senator continued, “How is it you expect the public schools to do something for your children that you are unwilling to do in your own homes?”

I think he’s got a point. What do you think about it?

Tags: children, parenting, prayer, school