Raising kids can be tough. And sometimes kids cross the line. In response, parents devise punishments to curb bad behavior: take cell phones, impose curfews, tell them they are grounded, etc. The worst threat is to send them away to some place like Siberia…and sometimes they do!
Well, probably not. But that is exactly what happened when, according to one source, Sofia Roberts, “the then 15-year-old crossed the line in her posh Virginia town.” Her parents “sent her thousands of miles away…to Siberia.” Wow…“you’re grounded!”
Don’t call the airlines just yet, parents. It isn’t easy to send your kid to Siberia. There are laws. But Sofia was born in Russia and her father still lives there. So thanks to legal loopholes, Sofia’s was sent to “cool out” for a while. But since she still hasn’t repented, and with her 18th birthday approaching, Sofia might lose her American citizenship and become a permanent resident of Siberia!
Yes, parenting can be tough. Sometimes, parents threaten crazy things to scare kids into good behavior, threats like, “I’ll send you to Siberia!” Truth is though, most of us would have trouble sending our kids away as punishment for even a night. But did you know that God has tried “Siberia-like” punishment to alter the behavior of His children? It is hard for Him too.
In the days of Noah, God was grieved that every thought of His children was sin, and the punishment was severe. In the days of Moses, His children wandered in a “Siberia-like” punishment for almost 40 years as a generation learned discipline. God even punished His only begotten Son, who had done no wrong, so He could demonstrate His long-suffering love for us. God wants each of us to put away our teenage rebellion and turn back to Him today.
I don’t know what Sofia’s fate will be, but you don’t have to be “grounded” when we rise up to meet Christ in the air! Eternal separation from God is far worse than a few years in Siberia. Ask forgiveness for past mistakes and be welcomed home into His forgiving arms today!
