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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for February 15, 2010
“You Kicked My Dog!”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
“You kicked my dog!”
That’s what the man said, walking toward me.
“You kicked my dog!” he said again.
He was drunk.
This happened at the first house we bought, behind a motel. Our kids were small, and they were out in the yard playing.
Then a threatening dog appeared in the yard, and I was called outside to deal with it.
I intervened and stood between the kids and the dog – and I tried to nudge the dog out of the yard, to send it back to wherever it came from.
A few doors down was a house owned by the motel, which they rented out like a motel room, often to construction workers in town for a job. But on this day the house was a party house.
So anyway, I used my leg to nudge the dog out of the yard, and that’s when I heard the guy walking down the street from the party.
“You kicked my dog!”
Well I didn’t kick the dog. I certainly didn’t want to hurt the dog or make it angry. I just wanted it to go away.
But that’s what the drunk guy was accusing me of, and he was laying for a fight.
So what did I do?
What would you do?
Well what I did was exercise patience. Yes, my adrenaline kicked in. My energy levels surged. My body said, “Let’s get this on.”
But wisdom said, “Stay cool. Be patient. First of all, just get the kids inside.” So we started herding the children into the house.
As we were doing this I said, “I didn’t kick your dog. I was just trying to protect my kids.”
Well he was drunk and mouthy. I know, it’s hard to believe those two going together, but he just kept talking.
So you know what? I had said my piece. There was really nothing to add, and nothing good could come from any more interaction. So as the children went inside, I did what seemed to be the wisest thing to do. I simply went into the house.
And he took his dog and walked back down the street; and I never saw him again.
Yes, that was an extreme situation, but I think it’s a great example of patience.
When I think of patience I think of calmness and self control in irritating circumstances.
Do you ever find yourself in irritating circumstances? We all do, so . . . we all need to work on being more patient.
“Yes, Doug, I know I need to be more patient, but the question is, how?”
Well first of all, keep in mind the benefits of being patient. For example, Proverbs 15:18 says, “…a patient man calms a quarrel.”
Some people just stir up quarrels. As soon as they step in, they whip it into a frenzy. But when a patient man steps in, his calming presence has a clamp-down effect.
That’s the person you want to be, the patient one who calms the quarrel.
Another benefit of being patient is that patience is better than power. Proverbs 16:32 says, “Better a patient man than a warrior…” Other versions say, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty...” and “Better to be patient than powerful…”
Here is another benefit of patience. Proverbs 25:15 says, “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded…”
There are a host of benefits for being patient, so it’s a worthy goal to shoot for.
Plus, the Bible flat out tells us to be patient, as in First Thessalonians 5:14 which says, “…be patient with everyone.”
Also, to be patient is God-like, because the Bible says over and over that God is patient. In fact, Romans 15:5 calls Him “the God of patience.”
“Fine, Doug, fine. I get it, I’m supposed to be patient, but again, the question is . . . how?”
Well first of all, as a Christian with the Holy Spirit inside you, you already have a wellspring of patience. Galatians 5:22 says the fruit of the Spirit includes patience, or what the old King James calls “longsuffering.”
So tune in to the Holy Spirit, walk in the Spirit and live by the Spirit and you will be more patient.
Another fruit of the Spirit is love, and as it says in First Corinthians 13, “love is patient.”
Proverbs 19:11 says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience…”
There you go, some great sources of patience. You get patience from the God of patience. You get patience as a fruit of the Spirit. You get patience from love, and you get patience from wisdom.
And by the way, there are some practical tips to being more patient.
--Get enough sleep.
--Eat right.
--Exercise.
--Don’t overbook yourself.
--And live by your priorities – make the main things the main things and don’t stress out about the rest.
So, it’s time to tap into this beautiful gift from God.
It’s time to take advantage of the simple but powerful thing we call patience.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 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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