The Millennium Falcon

By Dickie Everman

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

As I read this verse, it reminds me of when my wife and I had taken one of my daughters and three of our grandchildren up to see the Ark Encounter in northern Kentucky. We spent one day at the Ark, which was amazing, but that’s another story.

The next day we took the grandchildren shopping for school clothes. I am not sure how this always happens, but we were in a clothing store, and Bennie, who is four, and Abagail, who is seven, found the table with closeout toys. I told them we were there to buy school clothes, not toys.

To make a long story short, I gave in and bought the toys. Bennie had picked out the Star Wars ship, the Millennium Falcon. I decided to go ahead and pay for it, so that I could take him to the car and the girls could continue shopping. He was so excited to open the toy to play with it. I got it out of the package and noticed it said it could fly.

So, I hooked the battery up and turned it on. A light came on, but nothing happened, and I did not see a remote. Meanwhile, he wanted to play with it so bad I decided it was best to give it to him and figure it out later.

On our way home, he was playing with it and tossed it in the air. It started flying! It scared him, and he slung it over and hit his sister with it, and they were both crying. After that, they both were fine, simply scared. When they got home, Bennie’s father taught him how it worked, and Ben loves it!

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11 NIV).

As I apply Hebrews 12:11 to my life, I realize things do not always turn out how I think they will. I often lack the patience and discipline to do the challenging things that will bring long-term peace. Instead of getting mad about it or wondering why it happens, I need to use Celebrate Recovery’s tools and always remain teachable. Like Bennie finding comfort in his father, I need to find comfort in my Heavenly Father.

I need to ask God, “What are you trying to teach me now?” If I ask this question and put my trust in Christ Jesus, things will turn out better, in his perfect timing.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for teaching me your ways, and I trust in you to help make my path straight. Amen

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