Discipline

This week I have found myself in the midst of several disciplinary dilemnas. All week I procrastinated instead of studying for my exam (which I took this morning) so that yesterday I was overloaded with piles of information. My long day of studying led to an early night's sleep during which I was awakened twice by our beloved dog's bratty howling. (Honestly she picks the worst times!) Upon arriving home from the exam I recoiled at the domestic disarray that I returned to. Everything is dirty and stacked up in piles. These three separate situations have left me in a quandary as to the nature of discipline and how it can be harnessed in our lives.

One of the most intriguing fruits of the Spirit in my opinion is the fruit of "self-control" and yet of the set it is the one I lack the most. My attitude seems to be one of passive ease that allows circumstances to dictate how I react. If I don't feel a desire to study then I wait for that future (Utopian) time when I will. Then when the studying builds up and my life is chaotic I have to put aside other tasks (like the dishes) so that I can catch up on the studying. My lack of discipline and laziness turn easy tasks into emergencies.

I don't have an answer for my quandary. As easy as it is to say that I will just become disciplined, I think that it's more complicated than that. My fear however is that as a future parent I will be unable to train my children to be disciplined. My own reaction to our dog's misbehavior varies so often and compounded to that my husband and I have totally different perspectives on the magnitude of each of her misbehaviors. How will we ever present a united front when training our children? It's a good thing that we have many years before we have to figure that out. :o)