Apples of Gold
Radio Script for October 21, 2008
“Ten Thousand Kids on a Conveyor Belt”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Ten thousand new babies will be born in the United States today.
And they know nothing.
That’s 10,000 new kids on the conveyor belt.
And the conveyor belt rolls.
And 10,000 babies move from the hospital to home, some to splendor and some to squalor.
That’s 10,000 babies, and somebody has to teach them how to eat and how to go to the bathroom.
One of them is the next president, the next inventor, the next Super Bowl quarterback; but first someone has to teach them to tie their shoes.
Maybe it will be Mom and Dad. But wait. Many of the dads aren’t even in the picture. Many of the moms are overloaded.
But it doesn’t matter. The conveyor belt never stops.
Ten thousand kids will turn four years old today. Some have been hugged everyday, taught their colors and their numbers and the ABC song. And others, well, nobody is really teaching them.
Oh, they’re all learning. But what are they learning? And who is teaching them?
And the conveyor belt rolls.
Ten thousand kids become teenagers today. Are they ready? Lifelong values will be formed, but who’s helping form them?
They don’t know what’s going on. They’ve never been teenagers before. They need help. But whether they get it or not, the conveyor belt rolls.
And it will take some of them from junior high to jail. And some will find that drugs make them feel better. And alcohol. And some will sleep around.
Sure, some will have high moral values, and some won’t. What will be the difference?
One difference will be the people standing there as the conveyor belt rolls by.
Yes, there are hopefully family and friends that walk along the conveyor belt, teaching them at every stage.
But then there are the thousands of people standing along the conveyor belt. These are the people who teach the children something as they go past.
They are the neighbors. The teachers. The youth leaders.
The ministers. The coaches. Even doctors and nurses.
They are writers of children’s books and the creators of music videos.
At each age on the conveyor belt the children are learning. They are picking up values. They are discerning what is important and what isn’t.
And that’s 10,000 new kids everyday, who start out knowing nothing, and end up knowing whatever we pass along to them.
Are you on the frontline next to that conveyor belt? Are you actively involved in working with children? Then hats off to you. Thank you.
But what if you aren’t? Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you never wanted to be a school teacher.
I have no desire to be a youth leader or even a coach.
I’m not really a “kid person,” at least not like some people are.
But it doesn’t matter what I think I am. There are 10,000 new kids coming today, and they have a lot to learn. And they are going to learn it from whoever is willing to teach them.
Sure, kids are a lot of work. They can be annoying, but what do they know?
They know what they are taught.
And with so many kids on the conveyor belt, we have our work cut out for us.
And it’s more than just a nice idea. It’s a God idea.
In Matthew 18 Jesus was talking to his disciples, and at one point He called over a child. Then He said, “…whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me…”
Surely as Christians we would welcome Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And that should translate into how we welcome children, because Jesus said that when we welcome a little child in His name, we welcome Him.
Ten thousand new babies will be born in the United States today.
And they know nothing.
That’s 10,000 new kids on the conveyor belt.
And the conveyor belt rolls.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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