Dancing for the Lord is one of the gifts He gave me—without me asking for it. Through my study of the Bible, it is clear that God has planned many things for each one of His children, and these things, or gifts, have been placed within us at the time that He created and planned our lives before we came to be in this world.
I’ve had a lot of learning and growing to do in the area of dance, including being comfortable to say yes when asked to dance. As part of my development process, I have come to know that God is trustworthy and faithful to guide me in each challenge and offer.
With this in mind, when I was asked to do a Christmas dance at my church, I gave my “yes” and began searching for the right song. What song would the Lord have me do? Lauren Daigle’s Noel was the one I kept returning to. Now, how would the Lord have me dance? Listening to the song, I closed my eyes to see how Holy Spirit would direct me. Swing flags? Really?! It’s a bit of a slow song to use swing flags, but I sensed it was time for a new dance with different flags. I’ll give it a try, I thought.
I had choreographed, and practiced. The day and time for the dance quickly came. Then, in the middle of the dance, the “unthinkable” happened… I dropped a flag. The twist of one tangled around the other, pulled it right out of my hand, and it dropped to the floor. In the matter of a second or two, thoughts sped through my mind. Just keep going. Thank God it didn’t fly into the crowd. Can I go on with one flag? I’ll have to step around the one on the floor. I might slip on it. Gotta have that flag to finish the dance. So, as smoothly as I could I picked up the flag and kept going. I finished the dance and had fun, full of love and joy, worshipping and celebrating the Lord in this season of His birth.
One of the best lessons in life is to treat little mishaps (even big ones) as rain on a duck’s back. Let it slide right off and keep going. If we are living rightly, we live for the Lord, and not for ourselves or anyone else. Keeping this in mind enables us to push aside what others may think of us. What truly matters is what the Lord thinks of us. The Lord planned each of our lives (Psalm 139:13-16). He is with us and for us (Isaiah 41:10). He delights in us (Zephaniah 3:17). He created good works for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). He strengthens and protects us (2 Thessalonians 3:3). He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20). He loves us (Jeremiah 31:3, John 3:16).
In all things, I try to keep in mind why I do what I do. It is for the Lord, and sometimes, others get blessed in the process. There is such pressure and competition in all of our “growing up” and living. A slip like the one in my dance can be horrifying if our focus is on the crowd. If I had stayed focused on the crowd—as I was when I first began stepping out in dance—I would not have made it very far. Likely, I would have given up due to constant imperfection. The crowd (including ourselves) will always notice and point out the one mistake over the rest that was done well. I’ve learned to dance for only One. He is the One who called me to it, and it is first and foremost for Him. He never points out the “slips,” but rather, He cheers me on, pleased at my willingness to move at all, saying, “well done.”
And how did my church respond to the dropped flag? Just like they always do. Full of joy and praise as I danced and led them in worshipping our God. It’s a church like no other I’ve been to, where you are truly given the space to grow at your own pace, and where gifts are recognized and encouraged regardless of depth of skill and length of training. It is all praise to the Lord, who accepts each one of us right where we are. How very blessed I am there.
If we wait and work for perfection, much of life will pass us by. The Lord merely looks for willingness. For all His children and all who would seek Him, He says, “Stop looking at the world, and look at Me instead.”
“…I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly!” John 10:10 (TLV)