Years ago, my parents bought me a DeWalt thickness planer for my wood shop. Over the years, the blades became so dull that whenever I tried to plane through an oak board, my breaker box would trip, and the power would turn off. I found myself planing boards at a snail’s pace, and I was spending most of my time running to my breaker box to trip the switch back on again. However, if you took a deeper look, the problem wasn’t with my planer. The problem was with myself.
Like many other men, I have a hard time asking for help. I also hate pain, and I avoid it at all costs. I’ve labored over my dull-bladed planer for years, not getting much built in my wood shop. I was afraid to open up the machine and get cut by the blades. I was also afraid to ask for help, and my half-remodeled bathroom was getting on my wife’s nerves (or I was).
Last night I took the plunge and decided to win the battle with my planer. I took out all of the threaded bolts that held in my three planer blades. I called my good friend, Tom Carson, and I asked him to come over and to help sharpen my blades. Now, there’s only one thing that’s more difficult for men than asking for help. When Tom arrived with cookies from the farmer’s market in hand, he took one look at the planer blade, turned it around, and showed me that, on the other side, was a brand-new cutting edge waiting to be used. I felt so dumb. Why did I not see that?
Afterwards, I received a lesson from Tom. Tom said, “He who lacks wisdom asks friends.” Next, I went to Lyn-Way to have breakfast with my good friend, Kevin Kelly, and I got sharpened again. Kevin has a way of refining me with his questions and perspectives. He’s like my coach. He helps to sharpen the blades of my life so it works more efficiently. I came home, shared my friend-sharpening messages from my morning with my wife, and she helped me reinstall my planer blades. Now, my planer works as if it is new!
This morning, God retaught me a lesson found in Ecclesiastes 10:9-10. “When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax! Such are the risks of life. Since a dull ax requires great strength, sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.” Every part of my life gets better when I ask caring people for help. I gain new knowledge, gain fresh wisdom, and gain solutions that I cannot see because I can only see what is wrong. I am so thankful that God and my friends are patient with me. I have so much to learn. Asking for help and taking risks are how we grow. We are made to grow, but we do not grow on our own. We become wiser and sharper when we ask for help and when we face our fears. As a result, we become overcomers.
What part of your life is stuck because you will not ask for help?
What risk do you need to take in order to get sharper?
Who will be most likely to help you if you ask for his or her help?
Go see the movie Overcomer. You will be blessed and sharpened by it.