I Hope You Dance

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"And we're dancing in the minefields....
                       We're sailing in the storms.....
                                        And this is harder than we dreamed; but I believe.
                                                               
                                                   That's what the promise is for."          

-Andrew Peterson, Dancing in the Minefields

The other night I had the privilege of going dancing. Albeit, it was just my sister and I at an instructional class; but it was wonderful! My sister and I took turns playing the different parts as we learned the various steps to multiple different Victorian-Style dances.  Admittedly, there wasn't very many young people there; as we were outnumbered by the many older couples that participated. Now, mind you, that isn't a bad thing in any form of the sentence! Quite the opposite, I must say. I was extremely blessed to be able to glean from the experience of couples that had been dancing together for years. The night was just superb.

At one point the dance-caller announced a slow waltz was to be next. My sister and I politely backed off the main floor and became pleasant wall-flowers, as neither of us were very skilled at the simple, but intimate, three-step. We hung back, just watching, as the older couples took hands and readied themselves for the opening measures of music.

One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three.

Couple after couple faced each other and positioned their hands accordingly. A simple sway with the opening beats started them off until they began to slowly step in unison. The man lead his lady as their bodies began to spin with the song. Gracefully she floated with his stride, often on the tips of her toes, as the whole room began to turn in one well-choreographed motion. 

One, two, three. One, two, three...

I observed silently at the diversity of the couples. A few seemed a bit unsure of their steps, but they worked with each other to piece their way through it. A few others didn't seem to care at all about the proper footwork, choosing rather to just cling to one another in a simple, unified, sway. Sadly, I watched as at least two couples started off in each other's arms, found a bit of difficulty- whether with the music or each other I couldn't say, and then left the floor to sit out separate from each other. Lastly, I observed in awe, as one pair in particular flowed across the floor. Their motions were so fluid and graceful. They were barely even paying attention to the rest of the room, I can't even vouch for if they heard the music; but they gazed fixated into each other's eyes and danced in perfect unison. Twirls and spins, ups and downs, fast beats and slower ones; nothing hindered them. You could sense their love for one another as they danced to that slow, steady, waltz. 

"I want that." I couldn't help the thought as it sprang to my mind. "I want a love like that."

Life is like a dance, or maybe, more appropriately, a series of dances. A dance filled with different tempos and rhythms; different steps and moves. Someday I hope to have a husband of my own to go through life with. I pray that the Lord would bless me with a man to cling to as we navigate the crazy steps of life's dance. This heart is in waiting for that. 

Acknowledging that, I think what I observed of those couples in the mere few minutes during that waltz said a lot; a lot about love and a lot about life. Firstly, I want a good partner. Period. No elaboration needed there.

Nextly (yep, just invented a word there!), there are going to be moments in the dance of life that neither of us knows the steps. There will probably be a lot of those moments, if I had to be perfectly honest. I'm thinking that what I witnessed during that waltz the other night is gonna closely resemble our options in navigating those moments. What I mean by that is, he and I could get to a part in life, be it a circumstance, issue, or trial of some type, and we could choose to just give up. We could step off the floor, go our separate ways, and quit trying. That thought breaks my heart...

Another option we would have is to be like the couple that slowly pieced their way through the steps. This I can totally picture happening! Especially early on. With determination in our faces and fortitude in our frames, I can totally see he an I (whoever he may be) trying our hardest to fumble our way through. It may not be particularly pretty at first, and it might not look graceful, but we'd do it and do it together. <happy sigh>

Honestly, the couples that I watched just totally tuning out the music and focusing on being with each other were some of my favorites. They couldn't've cared any less about what was going on around them or what they were actually *supposed* to be doing. That, in and of itself, was inspiring. And yes, I happy sighed at that sight, too. 

Ultimately, I want to get to the point one day, with my man, that he and I can be like the couple that just flowed through the dance in perfect harmony. I want he and I to be so in-tune that we can navigate life's circumstances with twirls of grace and spins of love. We may be old and well-wrinkled before that ever comes into fruition, but oh when it does! 

Ya know though, as I sit here typing this, I acknowledge that I don't yet have that partner. Maybe, as you read this, neither do you. So, single ladies (and gents, too, I guess, if you've managed to survive all this sappiness so far...), where does that leave us? Are we to sit idly on the sidelines, like the little wall-flowers my sister and I were, while we wait for that special someone to say "May I have this dance?" 

NO!!! A thousand times "No!" I'm not a fan of just sitting idle. A large part of this blog is focused on the *how*, practical ways that we can be *active* in our waiting. Aside from a few instances where the Lord specifically directs us to "Be Still", Scripture is littered with warnings against idleness and passivity. That being said, if we aren't to just wait around for our dance request, then what exactly *are* we supposed to do? 

Ladies, dance with your Lord. 

"How?", You ask.  Well, for one, I can promise you that Jesus isn't gonna just appear in front of you for a slow dance. So get that idea out of your head. What I mean by that statement is connect with the Lord. Focus on your relationship with God intently and purposefully. Ask Him to align your heart -its desires and emotions, to that of His. Get your mindset in line with the mindset of His Word. Study Scripture. PRAY!

Building a relationship with Christ is a lot like dancing with Him. Do life with God *actually*. Don't push Him away when things get hard. When the steps of life's dance get difficult or confusing, don't just pull away and quit. Don't give up and lean on the wall. No. Muddle through the steps with Him. I promise He'll hold you as He slowly teaches you the choreography that He's planned out. Or ya know what? Maybe just take a bit and focus so intently on Him that everything else fades away- all the music and all the other distractions. Eventually, with His sanctifying work being made more and more complete in you, you and God will be able to dance together gracefully, fluidly, harmoniously. 

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 37:4-

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Now, before you fist pump the air and get all excited that God just promised to give you everything you've ever wanted, let me propose a thought to you. This verse, this one simple sentence, is too often overused to claim just that- that prosperity gospel hogwash. What if, however, it's actually saying something wildly different? What if it's stating that we are to delight ourselves with God, dance with Him intently, if you don't mind the metaphor, and He, in great wisdom and mercy, will *transform* the desires of our hearts to match His heart; therefore *giving* us brand new desires for our hearts? An interesting thought... Dance with God, and He'll transform your heart. 

Dance with God. Let Him lead you through the measures of life's music. Let every beat, every step, every piece of choreography be marked out by Him. Cling to the Lord, only to Him. My friend, don't be distracted by what surrounds you. Don't give up the dance just because it's hard. Allow the Lord to guide your fumbling feet as He teaches you to twirl with His will. And you know what? Maybe, just maybe, as you dance with your Lord, He'll allow that special person to tap on your shoulder and ask "May I have this dance?"

"And if you get the choice to sit it out or dance.... I hope you dance."

-LeeAnn Womack