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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for July 10, 2009
“The Impact of a Good Mother-in-Law”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Here is a small but important piece of my upbringing.
It’s the way my grandma spoke to me about my father.
She had nothing but kind words to say about him.
She would tell me things like, “Your father is a good man.”
Now let me tell you, little comments like that go a long way in shaping a boy’s image of his father.
And here’s the result. When my dad told me something, I respected it more based on what Grandma had told me.
Now remember, this was my dad’s mother-in-law.
You know about the stereotypical mother-in-law, who is never pleased with the man who married her precious little princess. She likes to get her digs in, just to put him in place now and then.
Well I am so thankful my grandma didn’t do that, because you see what happens? Mother-in-laws become grandmothers, and grandmothers have a powerful impact on grandchildren – including what they think of their dad.
If Grandma is always badmouthing Dad, it undermines him in the eyes of the kids.
Oh, maybe she tries to be subtle, but believe me, kids pick up on subtle.
For example, Dad says something and Grandma says “Yeah, right.”
Grandma says things like, “Yeah, he’s a great man – in his own mind.”
Or what about this, the mother-in-law comes up with a little nickname for her son-in-law that is less than respectful.
Now you might think it’s kind of cute when he’s just that kid who married your daughter. But it’s not cute at all when grandkids come along and your little nickname undermines their respect for their father.
Or what about this. I’ve seen grandparents ingratiate themselves to their grandchildren by siding with them against the parents.
You might think it’s cute, but it undermines their respect.
For example, little Johnny is visiting Grandma, and Johnny says, “I can’t eat any candy today. Daddy said so, because I’m in trouble.”
And Grandma says, “It’s alright. You can have candy anytime at Grandma’s house. It will be our little secret.”
Yes, maybe little Johnny will like you more and want to come over more, but at what price?
Parenting is a hard job, and young parents need the full support of the grandparents.
Like I said, my grandma only told me very positive things about my dad, and it really impacted my respect for my father.
The Bible says repeatedly that children should obey their parents, and in First Timothy 3:4 it specifically mentions children obeying their father “with proper respect.”
Yes, a father can demand respect, but he’s a lot more likely to get it when the kids see others showing him respect.
And as I experienced in my own life, one person who has great influence on children’s respect for their father is his mother-in-law.
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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