Discipline trains us towards how we want our society to behave. I would just encourage parents to put their efforts into discipline that makes sense to them. If a clean home is a demonstration of devotion to our Lord, then by all means have discipline to keep a clean home. But if a clean home is simply what your Mennonite neighbors want you to keep and not what you two as a couple want to keep, then that’s probably not where I’d apply my discipline?

And autism is just a term to group different ways of organizing the brain. God gives each of us different insights into His kingdom. Some people have brains organized in a way that works well within our society. We call those people “geniuses”. Others have brains that don’t seem to work as well within the structure of our society. We call those people “autistic”. I believe in my heart and I know in my head that God has a purpose for each of us. Just because I don’t understand that purpose, doesn’t mean that the purpose doesn’t exist.

And finally, this paragraph of yours below beautifully defines what binds us as Mennonites! What a healthy way to live in love! Bless you.

“We may know we should set boundaries for children, but along with that, I think we should also consider setting boundaries for ourselves. Yes, maybe we are old enough to know there’s terrible violence in the world, but that doesn’t mean we should take the liberty of watching graphic violence on television or in movies. There may be a time and place to watch such things, but not as an everyday diet. Our spirits, like our children’s, can be hardened, deadened, or made afraid. I believe we will be healthier and happier as persons and as parents if we set boundaries on what we allow into our own lives as well as our children’s.”

Thank you so much for this, Anne. This is wise and kind and beautiful, and I very much thank you for commenting.

Proverbs 13:24 tells us that “He who withholds his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” These are wonderful words that I know to be true!

I also know the painful grief of having children locked away in the prison of “broken brains”. Unable to love and laugh and live like we do, the world is hostile place to these precious little ones, that Jesus loves so much. Life is a confusing and difficult place for them.
I know now, that to plant the thought that “perhaps they just weren’t trained”, is devastating.
I understand that often people don’t understand autism/spectrum disorders. Jesus does understand…and His love for these “little ones” is a love I never knew until I entered this world of “broken brains” and saw His tender love for them.
This has been my world for years now, a world I would never have chosen, a world I would never want any parent to have to enter, but also a world where the love of Jesus for these “little ones” is so evident and real and a world where He is very close, if we look to Him.
He does give us beauty (for what may look like) ashes in our life every time, if we will give Him the ashes. He does make all things
beautiful. 🖤
I don’t claim to know it all, this is just from my experience.

Oh that’s so encouraging! Thank you!

That’s what mothers of multiple children keep telling… you think you have it all figured out finally for the first child, and then the second one comes along. 🤔

Thank you. ☺️