Dancing in Step with the Savior

I enjoy watching some of the dance shows that are on television this summer. One of my favorite shows features lots of different styles of dance including hip hop, jazz, ballroom, Latin, and contemporary. I love most of the styles, but no style moves me more than a contemporary piece that has a beautiful story behind it. The two dancers often move as one and it is so beautiful when they do it correctly. Their hands, feet and hearts move in one motion as if they form one body and spirit. Their faces and bodies tell the story that the choreographer desires for them to tell. The dances often bring me to tears. I’ve always loved dancing and singing. Music and dance has always moved me in some way. When I was a little girl, I would dress up in my Grandma’s clothes and jewelry and I would put on some classical music and twirl for hours.

This all reminds me of a verse that I have been memorizing and meditating on this summer. It comes from the book of Acts, chapter 17, verse 28. It says, “For in him we live and move and have our being…” Just like those beautiful dancers on my favorite dance show, when we truly “live and move and have our being” in Christ, it changes us and keeps us in step with Him. We move in sync with His will. We feel His Presence no matter what our circumstances are. We walk with greater peace and strengthened hope and faith.

This gives me an incredible mental picture of Christ in our lives. The dancers move so eloquently together, flowing beautifully to the music, telling a magnificent story. It can be the same in our walk with Christ. If we pay very close attention, we can move the same way with Him. We can experience this kind of life dance with Jesus, closely connected to the Savior like beautiful dance partners.

God speaks to us in many different ways. He leads and guides us through His Spirit, His Word, other people, circumstances, prayer and in other ways as well. He uses these means to get our attention and to help us walk through this life in a way that is God-honoring. When we walk closely to Him, moving only when He leads us to, life is so much better. It’s like dancing a love dance with our beautiful, merciful and loving Savior. I can almost picture Him going before me, walking beside me and coming up behind me, guiding me carefully as I seek Him, catching me when I slip or carrying me when I am too weak to move myself. What a beautiful dance it can be!

 I so long to “live and move and have my being” in Him. I’m working on it. I’m trying to stay in His Word daily and make sure that it is infiltrating the deepest places of my heart, mind and soul. I want so badly to walk this closely with Him, moving every single step with Him. My deepest desire is to know Him so intimately that I never take a step without Him. I want every one of my steps to keep tempo with His, dancing to the same rhythm as my King, moving through this life with His support and guidance just like two dance partners would dance to a lovely piece of music, completely in sync with one another.

 It is possible I know. His Word says that He knows when we sit and when we rise. He knows everything about us and even knows what we are thinking before we think it. Why would I not want to let Him lead me through each step of life? He is the most wonderful, loving, gracious and perfect dance partner that there will ever be. Even as I write, I feel His loving Presence guiding me to the next step of our life dance together.

 I’m so thankful that I belong to Him. I’m so thankful that He saved me and guides me. I’m so thankful for His love, grace and mercy. Great is His faithfulness! Amen!

 
Thanks so much for reading. I pray that my simple writings encourage you!

 

 

 

God Sightings and the Faith of a Child

Recently I participated in Vacation Bible School at our church. I think this year was at least my 23^rd or 24^th year. I’ve lost track. I love it so much! It is such an awesome experience partnering with 170+ volunteers and hanging with more than 150 children all week. It both energizes me and wears me out, but I keep volunteering every year and I hope to continue until I cannot physically do it anymore. I hope I never grow too old for VBS!

 There are so many things that I love about VBS, the worship is my favorite, but even more than that, it is that fact that I learn something every year. Yes, I know, the kids are supposed to be the ones learning right? Not always. We can learn as much or more than they do if we are paying attention.

This year, I learned something important through what we called “God Sightings”. Each night we ask the children to look for ways that God was working at VBS. Then we had one child come up on the stage to tell us about their “God Sighting”. It was such a blessing to listen to their stories of God’s wondrous work among us!

One little girl’s story really caught my attention. On the first night, we explained what a God sighting is and asked them to all be on the lookout for ways that God would work during the week. The next night, a momma told our director that her daughter came home from VBS saying excitedly that she had to keep her eyes open because she HAD to find a God sighting! She was greatly anticipating that moment when she would see and recognize that God was working right in front of her and she couldn’t wait to tell us all about it! She also asked her mom if she could “use an old one” if she couldn’t find one! Kids are so funny!

The first thing that came to mind after hearing about this precious little one’s faith, was whether or not I look for God and His work with the same excitement and anticipation that this sweet little girl did. Do I have my ears and eyes wide open, looking and listening for Him to speak and act? Do I have faith that He will? When He does, am I excited enough to rush out and shout it from the mountaintops like she was?  

 Most days, I am too busy to hear or see His hand at work, or to hear His voice. Some days, I’m so stuck in my own pity party that I would miss Him even if He moved a mountain on my behalf! Then again, some days, I quiet myself enough that I really, really look for Him throughout my day and when I do, He does not disappoint.

The good thing is that every day we get another chance to wait and watch for Him. Every day, we can start again and look for Him in every single moment of our days. We do not have to divide the spiritual part of our lives from the everyday stuff. We can combine the two and invite Him to be involved in everything we do from laundry to shopping, to work and play. We can open our eyes and search for those God sightings in our own days! He is always working. He never stops. We just stop looking sometimes.

I hope I will remember my lesson from VBS this year. I hope I will start each day anxiously anticipating God’s work and searching for Him with great excitement. His Word says that if we seek Him will find Him. Are you looking? I’m certainly going to try harder to do so from this day on! I do not want to miss those God sightings!

God bless and thanks for reading!

Terry J