‘Perhaps we should juggle fewer plates or give some to others’

It’s the turn of Revd Fiona Munn of the King’s Lynn Team Ministry to write the weekly Thought For The Week column…In September, I went to the circus in King’s Lynn with my family. There were many amazing acts – the clown was hilarious; the dancers were fantastic and there were some impressive displays of acrobatics and juggling.But the act that really got me thinking was the man spinning plates, aided of course by his glamorous assistant! I have forgotten how many plates he had spinning at once. But it was a lot. He kept running backwards and forwards to keep the original plates spinning as more and more were added.

Often, we use the term ‘spinning plates’ to refer to our busy lives. And dare I say it, as a woman, I wonder if women feel this pressure even more keenly. There are just so many plates we need to keep spinning. We live in fear of them all coming crashing down.There is my work as a curate, studying, volunteering, socialising, housework, shopping, cooking, kids’ homework, kids’ activities, hobbies, TV, social media… the list goes on.I wonder if sometimes we give ourselves extra plates when we should be removing plates. Sometimes we let other people give us plates when they could do the thing themselves. Or perhaps, the thing just doesn’t need doing. There are only so many hours in the day and so many days in the week. We need to prioritise. We all have our limits. Giving ourselves a bit of time regularly to think, reflect, or pray can help us evaluate our lives. Perhaps also talking to someone thoughtful who knows us well. What would you like to be doing that you don’t have time for? Is there anything that you feel you should stop doing?Jesus lived an unhurried, peaceful life. He had time and space for others. In the gospel of Matthew, we find these words of Jesus: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30)Jesus doesn’t call us to lives of stress, but flourishing lives coming from places of rest. I wonder if you could take down some of your plates or give them away to others? And perhaps start finding that rest for your soul.