When the Closet Came Crashing Down: A Lesson in Obedience and Discipleship

It wasn’t a dramatic day. In fact, it started off pretty ordinary.

I came home from work to the usual sounds of a lived-in house, the kind with four kids, scattered shoes, and that low hum of energy that never really fades.

But that day, something felt off.

One of the kids hesitated to greet me, their eyes doing that telltale dance between guilt and worry. You know the look…the kind that says, “I did something... and I’m not quite sure if you know yet.”

Then came the words:
“We were in your closet… and something broke.”

And sure enough, when we walked in, the shelving unit, the entire thing, had crashed down. Clothes, bins, shoes… all over the floor.

The Mess Beneath the Mess

At first glance, it was easy to get frustrated at the mess, the broken shelf, the disobedience, and the inconvenience of one more thing to fix.

But what the Holy Spirit nudged us to see was the mess underneath the mess.

This wasn’t just about a shelf falling.
This was about trust being broken.

We had one standing rule: Don’t go into our room without asking. Not because we’re overly strict, but because boundaries matter. Respect matters. And trust is something we’re always building.

Their curiosity (and probably the allure of “exploring”) led them to ignore that rule. One small act of disobedience led to real consequences… a visual picture of what happens when we step outside the boundaries that were meant to protect.

The Bigger Conversation

Unlike usual, we didn’t jump straight to punishment.

We sat down at the kitchen table with the kids and talked.
We asked questions.
We listened to the "why."

And then we did something different:
We told them we needed to step away and talk privately about what the consequences would be.

In the meantime, we asked them to sit together and discuss what they thought a fair consequence would be. Not out of fear — but reflection.

What we saw in their eyes wasn’t panic. It was conviction.

They knew.

And it reminded us that discipline isn’t just about consequences — it’s about connection. It's about slowing down long enough to disciple through the moment, not just react to it.

A Gospel Reminder

That closet moment became more than a lesson in listening — it became a picture of the gospel.

We sin. We step outside of God's loving boundaries. And the fallout is real.

But so is the grace.

God doesn’t discipline us out of anger — He corrects us because He loves us and wants our hearts, not just our behavior.

"The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His child."
Hebrews 12:6

So we walked our kids through that. Not just the rule they broke, but the why behind the boundary. Not just the consequence, but the restoration of trust.

Parenting Is Discipleship

These are the moments. The ones no one sees. The ones that don’t show up on Instagram.

The mess, the talking-it-through, the I’m-sorry hugs, the holding their little hands while reminding them that love doesn’t leave when things break.

These are the discipleship moments. The moments that take time, patience, and a deeper view than behavior alone.

Because we’re not just managing kids.
We’re raising hearts.
And ultimately, we’re shepherding souls.

If you're in a season where everything feels like it’s toppling… schedules, boundaries, maybe even your own patience — just remember: God is in the middle of the mess too.

He’s forming your children.
And He’s forming you, right alongside them.

One conversation at a time.
One crash at a time.
One gracious response at a time.