Spankings Revisited
The post about spanking is no more... it seems I possibly revealed too much for the average blog reader to process. I apologize if the fact of my spanking our child offends or hurts. It was a story I chose to share ONLY because I felt there was an opportunity for God to be glorified and for my glaring mistakes as a parent to be appreciated by those who consider missionaries to be holier-than-thou.
For those who understand the various challenges of child-rearing along with the heart of our specific family, I ask for your grace. And for those who read it in the context it was intended, I hope you saw the heart behind the message.
I love my children. A discussion of the merits of spanking vs. non-spanking is not appropriate for this blog. For now, I offer an apology to you for allowing a personal moment to permeate something that, perhaps, should be a bit more private.
For those who understand the various challenges of child-rearing along with the heart of our specific family, I ask for your grace. And for those who read it in the context it was intended, I hope you saw the heart behind the message.
I love my children. A discussion of the merits of spanking vs. non-spanking is not appropriate for this blog. For now, I offer an apology to you for allowing a personal moment to permeate something that, perhaps, should be a bit more private.
Comments
Please don't feel discouraged. I'm pretty sure that at least 98% of us read it in the spirit in which it was intended. I want the REAL Laura. This blog is a big part of the way I feel connected to you. (((HUGS)))
Denise put it so eloquently and I echo her sentiments.
Thank you for being real and transparent.
It is so sad that when a person posts a blog, some readers in the Blogosphere feel the need to be haters.
Love you,
Wendy
I was not offended but enough people were offended that eventually she lost her job as a contributor to an online magazine. Mainly because people felt she embarrassed her son by writing about a personal offense in her private life. Should we never write about about about personal lives? Of course not. I merely wanted to raise the suggestion that she could offend and possibly lose readership with a story written about a sensitive topic when most of her readers are new to her work, and therefore, do not know the context of the incident. On my blog, I like honest feedback, back and forth. I don't feel like I was trying to harm or discourage Laura in anyway. I guess I was wrong. If you felt harm or discouraged, it was not intentional. I did praise your work, and I did seek to encourage you to continue, as I recall.
I did not at all feel harmed by your comments. Discouraged as a parent, possibly. However, that was quickly replaced with the realization that you were correct to remind me that my blog has moved from a personal blog read by folks who know us, love us and give us much grace... to one, by my choice, that is read by people in various parts of Honduras. That choice of mine was, perhaps, not the best choice if I wanted to share on a deeply personal level.
It is always difficult to balance the conversations I'd love to have with my closest 20 friends with the more casual information that most readers are more comfortable digesting.
So, all in all, it was a lesson learned for me. If you had not pointed it out, I would have felt that all readers understood the final point I wanted to make about Christ. Now, I know, that the finale wasn't even reached by some because of their distaste with my discipline choice.
Thank you for being willing to share. Most of the readers of this blog, I still believe, have known me and my family for 5-10 years. They have read my other blog about fostering and adoption; they know my stance on many issues relating to children. They have seen the love we have for all of our children and the hope we have for the children with whom we work.
I don't consider myself a writer, just a human being who has a lot to process myself and enjoys having a venue to do so.
Hopefully, you and I can meet one day and visit over a cup of coffee or the like. I may be in Tegus in a few months.