In a Father's Day phone call with my uncle related a story that happened many years ago when he was invited to a Saturday prayer breakfast. What made this prayer breakfast an important event was the fact that he was to be the special speaker at the church for the Sunday sermon the day after. He was tasked to fill in for the pastor who had to miss the upcoming Sunday service.
Now my uncle is a lifelong Florida Gators fan with tickets to that Saturday's big game. After accepting the invitation to the prayer breakfast he suddenly realized the scheduling conflict. So, he grudgingly gave away his football tickets.
Now comes Saturday morning and my uncle is mad, rip snorting mad, about having given away those tickets. So instead of going to the prayer breakfast he decides to go fishing. He loads up the boat and heads off to the river.
Four miles down the river and he's almost to the opening that enters the gulf when the transom-mounted engine on his fishing boat breaks loose while his hand is still on the throttle. The motor flies up over his head and his hand, gripping with all of his might, revs the motor to full throttle. By the time he gets control the motor has died, the transom is broken he's looking at a long paddle back up river from which he came.
Then comes that small still voice that reminds us that we belong to our Heavenly Father, and that He corrects us, "Bet you wish you were at that prayer breakfast!"
The Lord disciplines those He loves. And when he does, there is joy in that rebuke. Hebrews 12:5-6 tells us that He chastens those whom he loves and has received in His heart.
The rebuke might not make the highlight reel of your life, no more than that 4-mile paddling up the river my uncle had to endure. But the joy of knowing that we belong to Him; and are chastened by Him because He loves us and has accepted us is truly a source of comfort in our daily walk.