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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for January 22, 2009
“A Tomato Fight Could Break Out Any Moment”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Bash! A tomato hit me right in the neck.
I turned to hurl a tomato in response but I threw it so hard it broke apart in mid air.
Bam! Now I could feel tomato soaking down my back.
My vision narrowed in rage, locking on a target. Every muscle tightened, poised to fire a fastball at my friend.
Yes, my friend. They were all my friends. But not anymore. Not ever again. I would rather have no friends than this pack of freaks and losers.
A horn sounded out front. “Your mom’s here!”
Good. Get outta here. I hope you die.
Believe it or not, just the day before, we were all best friends. Everyone came over for my birthday. I was nine.
It was a great party, really. A sleepover. The problem was…we didn’t sleep.
And you know what happens to 9-year-old boys when they don’t sleep. They go insane.
Fast forward a few years to the summer of ‘98. My wife was out in the yard playing wiffle ball with my son and his friends. Suddenly our usually laid back son was over-the-top competitive. He was bickering about rules. He was arguing with his friends. He finally swirled himself into a tizzy and ran off.
My wife said to one of the boys, “What is his deal?”
And the boy admitted that, well, they stayed up all night.
Of course it’s not just 9-year-old boys. Have you ever seen little kids who just need to go to bed? They are liable to throw a fit about anything.
So what should a parent do with a child like that? Argue with them?
No. Why bother arguing or even reasoning with them? They are overtired and out of control. The main goal is just get them to sleep.
And you know what? This applies to grownups, too.
No, we usually don’t throw fits and start tomato fights. But we do get cranky. We don’t think straight. The world gets darker when we don’t get enough rest.
There’s a neat story in the Bible about Jesus and His disciples. In Mark chapter six, Jesus noticed that his disciples needed a little r-n-r. In fact, verse 31 says that because so many people were coming and going, they didn’t even have a chance to eat.
Now Jesus could have just told them to “cowboy up.” You know, tough it out. But listen to what He said: “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Then verse 32 says, “So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”
See, Jesus knows the importance of rest and relaxation. There is a time for activity, then there is a time for no activity. There is a time to put your mind and body at ease.
God Himself set the example for us at creation. Genesis 2:2 says, “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work.”
Years ago I heard Larry Burkett talk about his life as a workaholic. He worked tons of hours each week in order to get ahead. But then he started analyzing his work and he came to this conclusion. The quality of his work suffered the longer he worked each day. So he found that the best schedule for him was something like a 47 hour work week.
Yes, some people are just lazy. But this message isn’t for them. This is for people who don’t know when to stop. You are the go-go guy. And anyone who doesn’t go-go-go…well…they’re just annoying.
In fact, you’re probably annoyed by a lot of things. Can you see the connection with those 9-year-old boys?
With kids we know that too much action plus too little rest equals cranky children.
And too much action plus too little rest equals cranky adults, too.
Do you feel guilty when you relax? Of all the things to feel guilty about, this is not one of them. Jesus told His disciples to relax. God Himself rested from all His work.
So have you been feeling “on edge” lately. Does it feel like a tomato fight could break out any moment?
Well maybe you aren’t getting enough sleep. Maybe there’s too much going on.
Maybe it’s time to listen to these understanding words Jesus said to His disciples.
“Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2009 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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