Home » Thoughts for the Week » Are you still Spinning?

Are you still Spinning?

We all know that we actually live on a planet which is very slowly spinning all of the time, we don’t notice this.  We may love the theme park ride of sitting in the tea cups and spinning around or going up on the tall carousels and being spun out into the sky from our seats.  For a time we love the feeling of being made dizzy and disorientated, but probably only because we know it will stop.  We generally laugh and consider if we will venture forth for another turn, or we feel utterly sick and never venture there again.

I love the world of toddlers and at present each week Stephen and I are caring for our toddler twin granddaughters.  Every time we turn up we discover that they have learnt something new.  Recently they had learnt the art of spinning, as in turning round and round on one spot until, of course they fall down, which they find hilarious.  Being two of them, they actually find each other hilarious and we laugh along with them, waiting to possibly catch them when things go wrong!

In our lives at times, we can feel like the man who holds the Guinness Book of records for the greatest number of plates spun simultaneously (which is 108) as we juggle the various demands of life, church, family, study, relaxation, more church stuff, more family stuff, more deadlines looming, more emails coming in and so the number of plates we need to spin increases.  Initially the pressure can be stimulating, fun perhaps, but eventually we reach our dizzy limit and hopefully well before we get to 108 figurative plates spinning.  However I wonder, do we control it, or does it control us?  Perhaps we are more like the toddler who doesn’t know her limits and will just keep going until injury occurs.

God reminds us that he holds this spinning world in his hands, he knows all of its detail, breadth and depth:

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?”  Is. 40:12

When a toddler’s game becomes overwhelming, out of control and on the verge of disaster, the parent (or grandparent) suggests a change to the game, to ward off disaster.  Perhaps as we move towards September there needs to be a change to our game of plate spinning or the effect of it, which is only just remaining in control and not dropping things.  Perhaps it’s time to move on in Isaiah chapter 40 to verses 28-31

^“29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”

Is it time for a change of game, to more intentionally hoping in the Lord, being renewed by his strength and then soaring on his wings?

Beth Poweny, EBA Regional Minister, Team Leader