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Breaking Point

Album: 36: Danger Signals

Episode: 473

Lesson/Theme: Trust

Bible Verse: Proverbs 16:9

Characters: Alex, Liz, Wooton, Whit

Writer: Marshal Younger

Sound Designer: Rob Jorgensen

Original Air Date: June 2, 2001

Last Air Date: November 4, 2009

Description:
It's just not going to work out...Whit can't figure out how to manage his schedule and fit in everything that he's supposed to do. Not only that, his workers can't find enough time for Whit's End, either. Connie's busy at the Timothy Center, Jack Allen's busy at the Antique shop, Eugene's still busy at the college, and Nick is starting a band. Whit decides to call Wooton, even though he doesn't have a lot of experience. At the Connellsville Whit's End, Whit is working on the new Imagination Station and Mary introduces a friend, Barry Muntz, who seems to be an expert in everything (and we do mean everything). Mary says he could help Whit with the Imagination Station, but Whit says he doesn't want anyone else looking at the Imagination Station plans. Back at Whit's End, chaos reigns. Kids are getting hit with pretzel rods, birthday parties are noisy, trains are flying of tracks, and seven-year-old baseball players are taking the place by storm. Whit gets a call from a desperate Nick who seems to have a bucket stuck on his head. Mary urges Whit to let someone help him. Wooton shows up for work at Whit's End the next day and just after Nick leaves, Wooton and Liz hear screaming upstairs. Alex is trapped in the Imagination Station and Wooton doesn't know how to turn it off. They can't get through to Whit, so Wooton gets a rock from the Jacob display and smashes the glass. Alex is shaken, but not hurt. That night, Whit stops by Alex's house to see if he's all right. Alex's dad says that he's fine, but he's concerned about Whit's End. Things seem to be falling through the cracks without Whit there. After saying goodbye to Mr. Jefferson, Whit takes out his cell phone and gives Mary a call. He's ready to talk about letting Barry help with the Imagination Station. The next day, Wooton is upset about what happened, but Nick and Whit tell him that it isn't his fault. A few days later, Whit shows up at the Connellsville Whit's End. Mary says Barry is finished with the Station, but when Whit takes a look, some of the inner circuitry is missing. The plans are gone, too. Barry has stolen Whit's plans for the Station! At the police station, Mary apologizes to Whit and wonders how Barry could have betrayed her. The detective says that Barry was just an alias and that he was involved in stealing company secrets. At Whit's End, Whit tells Nick something he didn't tell Mary. He left out a key component of Station as a precaution. The Station won't work without it. At an unknown airport, Barry hands the plans over to a mysterious figure. The other man tells Barry he must leave the country for a while. Barry is confused, but the man insists the he must not come back. Just as Barry is about to walk away, the man gives him a final warning: "And by the way, Mr. Muntz...these plans better work."

Questions:
Why didn't Whit want to give the plans to Barry? Was Whit doing anything wrong by trying to do everything himself? What do you think he should have done? In Exodus 18, Jethro told Moses that he needed people to help him do the work so he wasn't doing it all himself. Read the story for yourself. Are there any situations in your life where you need to get some trustworthy people to help you do the work?