As a child, I remember watching a gentleman on television who had a unique talent: he was able to spin plates on the tops of wooden poles. What intrigued me was his ability to keep thirty or more plates spinning at the same time. He would rush all over the stage, spinning the plates that were beginning to wobble, frantically trying to keep the inevitable from occurring.
After his demonstration, I decided that I would give it a try. I located a broom and found a plate in the cupboard. Standing the broom vertically, I positioned the plate on top, looked around to make sure nobody was watching (they weren’t), then gave the plate a quick spin.
You can guess what happened next.
Many years later, I am astonished at how many ‘plates’ my wife Jennifer can keep spinning at the same time: elementary school teacher, mother, chauffeur, shopper, accountant, and organizer are a few. However, the last month of the school year adds additional items for her to manage. There are concepts to teach, tests to administer, decorations to take down, meetings to attend, and report cards to fill out. This can be enough to take down even the most seasoned veteran if they’re not careful.
Earlier this week, she came home from school frustrated and stressed out. We sat on the sofa and I asked her what still had to be accomplished. I immediately planned to help her out in some way, but I wasn’t sure how.
The next day, I walked downstairs and found a large cardboard box filled with assignments that needed to be graded. After selecting some background music, I grabbed the box and a pen and began marking papers. Many hours later, she returned home to find that a portion of her burden had been lifted. Seeing a smile on her face was enough for me.
The late English novelist/poet John Donne noted that “no man is an island.” 1 His comment still holds true in today’s frenetically-paced world, despite our attempts to keep others from knowing anything about our thoughts and/or feelings. Sometimes we stonewall ourselves in homes with fences on either side. Sometimes we try to keep our ‘plates’ spinning through our own power and determination. Sometimes we rush around so quickly that we have no time for anyone, including God.
Living a life of exclusivity is not the life God intended for us. We need to have others around to help, encourage, cheer, and guide us as we face life head-on. In the book of Exodus, Moses found himself in two situations where he needed some help from others:
It turned out that Aaron and Hur saw a need they could meet with a little ingenuity. They grabbed a stone and had Moses sit on it. Then each of them held up one of Moses’ arms until the sun went down. As a result, the Israelites won the battle.
Situation #2: In the next chapter, Moses sat down to judge the people of Israel and found people standing before him from daybreak to sunset. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro saw this and asked him, “Why do you do this all by yourself?”
He replied, “Well, the people come to me with all kinds of disputes. I make a judgment and at the same time teach them about God’s rules.”
Jethro was wise. I can imagine him looking directly into Moses’ eyes and saying, “This is too much for you—you can’t do this alone” (Exodus 18:18 [Msg]). His suggestion was for Moses to teach the ways of God and find others that would handle the minor issues and petty disagreements. That way, he would only have to deal with the hard cases and would have “the strength to carry out whatever God commands” (v. 23 [Msg]). Moses listened to his father-in-law and was freed from a tremendous burden.
Just as we need the assistance of others, we also have an obligation to help individuals whose ‘plates’ are threatening to fall to the floor and shatter. Sometimes these people will ask for help. Sometimes they, for any number of reasons, are scared of asking for any type of assistance. It is written, “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” 2 This assistance was a cornerstone of the first church, as the people sold their possessions and “gave to anyone as he had need.” 3 I’m sure there were many people in Jerusalem who came to believe in Jesus because of a follower whose faith was demonstrated through his/her actions.
When we help another person, we should not expect anything in return, even if money, dinner, or media coverage is offered or given. And we shouldn’t limit our help to those ‘of faith’ or those ‘of wealth’. Remember that Jesus spent considerable time with the poor and those looking for faith.
So what is God telling you? Do you need to allow someone to help you keep the ‘plates’ in your life spinning (or help you eliminate a few)? Do you need to take time to be a friend to someone who desperately needs one? How will you put the faith you claim into actions the world can see this week?
As the Lord refreshes you, may you, in turn, refresh others.
—Proverbs 3:27 (NIV)
“One person can make a difference. But a person does not make a difference because he or she is one. People make a difference because they are connected.”
—Leonard Sweet4
1 Donne, John, Meditation XVII.
2 Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV)
3 Acts 2:45b (NIV)
4 Sweet, Leonard. Out of the Question…Into the Mystery. WaterBrook Press, Colorado Springs
CO, 2004: 131.
All material copyright 2006 J. Alan Sharrer. No part of this message may be reproduced—other than the forwarding of the original, unaltered message—without express written permission.
