The Joy of Dance

Then young women will dance and be glad,
    young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
    I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

Jeremiah 31:13

Dancing is one of the great pleasures of life.  There is delight in letting go and moving with the music.  Whether it is swaying slowly or jumping wildly as a child, there is joy in the freedom and the exuberance of feeling the music. The human body responses instinctually with fingers snapping, feet tapping, and hip gyrations. We all know the pleasure of moving were the music leads us and watching others dance. Do you smile while watching a small child wiggle in front of a cd-player? Do you gasp for air when a ballerina leaps across the stage? Or do you simply feel a warmed heart when an elderly couple two-steps across the dance floor. 

What is this gift of dance?  What is this joyous emotion with hip gyrations or shuffling feet while smiling and floating arms in the air? Is dance a response to joy or is joy a consequence of dance?  Can we even separate joy and dance?  Have you experienced tremendous joy and never twirled around, or stepped through a quick grapevine?

Of course there is always the anxiety of a first dance.  That stressful feeling one gets when not knowing how to dance while others watch. The conformist need to do it right and not be foolish. But these are performance and perfection requirements of social settings, with greater expectations than joy.  To release the need to perform and simply feel the music as it floats across the room, is a completely different experience. It is an experience worth cultivating.

It does not matter if you shuffle around the kitchen or step onto the dance floor with a band playing. The experience of dancing is a gift from God. It is a pleasurable and joyous way of celebrating the gifts of music and life in God’s world.

Dear Lord, Never let me forget the pleasures that exist in this world.  Never let me pass a day without experiencing Your presence whether it be through dance, music, or worship. Let me always remember the simply joys of this life.

The beauty of God's creation

For you will go out with joy

And be led forth with peace;

The mountains and the hills will break forth 
into shouts of joy before you.

And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Isaiah 55v12

What does it mean for a mountain to shout?  Does a hallowing wind blow between cliff and ravine causing sounds to echo?  Do birds fly in large flocks with beating wings reverberating between mountainous peaks?  Do mountains actually make noise as easily as rocks pour forth water?  Are we called to do more than enjoy the beauty of God’s creation? Are we called to rule over the very mountains, hills, trees, and fields?

I believe we are.  The world was given to us in Genesis and even though we broke it, it is still ours.  As any child is given responsibility to feed a pet, or put up toys, we are responsible for the earth.  It is a gift from the Great King, and as His children we have responsibility beyond enjoying the gift.

I planted a small garden in the backyard and it produces more cucumbers and squash that I can eat.  So I make soup to freeze and give as gifts to friends.  By being responsible for a small plot of earth it multiplies the gift and bring smiles to others. Those that generously share squash soup recipes online participate in my joy.

A friend gave me the gift of daylilies to make my yard more beautiful. She brought many smiles to my face along with hours of gardening therapy to enrich my soul.  Her neighbors and mine enjoy the beauty of flowers we plant in our yards.  As the daylilies multiply I will share them with someone else, bring joy and smiles to another soul.

There is a large hill behind my house. Although it has never shouted, it does bring me joy.  Staring at the trees bending in the breeze and listening to the birds sing, brings peace to my soul.  At the end of a long day there is my peaceful patio waiting to offer solace and a glimpse of the abundant generosity of God.

God has given us so much in this rich and abundant earth.  How much can we give others by being responsible children, taking care of our gift, and sharing it with others?

Dear Lord, never let me take the beauty of nature for granted.  Help me find ways to share that beauty with others.  Show me how to be a more responsible child.

The precious gift of scripture

All scripture is inspired by God

And profitable for teaching, for reproof,

For correction, for training in righteousness.

2Timothy 3:16

What is the difference between the word of God in scripture and the Word of God in the flesh as Jesus Christ?  Jesus is the Word became flesh.  He is the King.  He took the form of a man to walk among us and to save us from ourselves.  He is the crucified and risen Lord who sits at the right hand of the Father.  He is God.

Holy Scripture is the inspired word of God written by human hands.  It is written by people during their lifetimes and based on their understanding and experiences. For me scripture is the very breathe of God.  When reading scripture there are times the page becomes alive as though His breathe blew across the page ruffling the edges.  It is a mystical experience to read words on a page and feel the ancient wisdom still alive and breathing. To know the Living Word is as close and significant today as it was 2000 or 4000 years ago.

The Psalms are people talking to God about God.  Telling God how they feel about him and what they think of His deeds.  Through words the ancient writer’s praise the glorious God, call to question His unfathomable deeds, and bow down prostrate before His magnificence. These writers call God to action against wicked neighbors, cursing those who rebel against the ways of the Almighty, and pledging their eternal obedience to His rule.  What a privilege to read words spoken, prayed, cried, and memorized by millions of souls, each seeking respite from an all too often cruel world.

The Bible contains many stories of people called out by God:  Moses, Joshua, Diana, David, Elijah, Jeremiah, Mary, Paul, Peter, Timothy and many more with and without names.  Each person has a unique story when God called and began leading in a different direction.  Moses a privileged murderer called to lead a million slaves to freedom.  David a cunning commando called to rule as King. Elijah called to proclaim even when he ran and hid in fear. Mary a youthful virgin called to an unexpected pregnancy. Paul a murderous zealot called as a missionary and church builder. Each life was full of pain, hard work, and unexpected successes.  What is it to follow God’s direction not knowing your life story will be retold to millions of children for a thousand years.

When we read  scripture we hold ancient history in our hands.  We explore the Creator’s willingness to walk among us and share himself with every living person.  It is a great honor and privilege to possess such a gift. 

Relax. It is in God's hands.

I lie down and sleep:

I wake again, because

the Lord sustains me

Psalm 3:5

What does it mean to relax in God’s hands?  Is it passive?  Should I hum a merry tune and baptize myself Pollyanna?   When things around me are falling apart, how do I trust God in the midst of the wreckage?  Is concern the same as worry?   Through experience I have learned to walk from seeing the wreckage towards trusting the Almighty. These are my four steps to move me back to God.

The first step involves remembering what God did in the past. Recall times when things fell apart and God plunged a finger in the midst of the whirlwind.   Such as the day my parked car was flooded up to the door handles.  Two men drove by while I stood outside my apartment, staring at my dripping car, waiting for the creek to return to its boundaries.  The men pushed my car out of the water, onto drier land, where it dripped for rest of the night.  The next morning, the car dried enough to crank. I drove it towards an auto repair shop only to have it die in the middle of a four-lane highway.   When I exited my car to walk, the driver behind me got out of his police car and offered to help me get to the auto repair shop.   I owned a flooded car and God provided help through three strangers passing by at the perfect moment.

The second step involves praying to remain on God’s path even when it looks rocky and difficult.  Twenty-five years ago, a friend wanted a better job as a stock broker rather than a bank auditor.  I prayed for her to have this dream job.  When she accepted a new job as a stock broker trainee, I knew God answered prayers.  Two weeks later, when she was laid off along with twenty other people, I wonder if God played practical jokes.  My friend struggled for several months with fears of unemployment and the disappointment of seeking a career in a precarious field.  When her finances became unmanageable, she begrudgingly took a job in bank acquisitions.  She knew little about acquisitions and considered it a short term transition while she waited for something better.  Her talents blossomed in this new field and multiple banks offered her stable employment.  A career in acquisitions, which she never wanted, became the perfect fit for her life.  Only God could have known this, and only a rocky road would have led her to turn down this unexpected path.    

The third step requires accepting that God will break us so that he can mend us.  This is the most difficult step.  When we have bad habits that we and those around us find acceptable, sometimes God sees a boulder in our path that He wants removed.  For me the boulder is choosing the good path rather than the godly path.  I spent five years living in rural Africa, teaching Christian life skills to combat the AIDS pandemic which kills so many young Africans.  I became determined to stay and work as an African missionary. For several years God opened doors for me to teach, meet people, and impact the community.  Then the opportunities and money began to disappear.  I was left with no choice but to sell my car and use the money to buy a plane ticket home. 

I returned to my old pre-missionary job and resumed an American lifestyle.  My heart was broken and I felt devastated that God would not allow me to continue such important work.  In the past few years, while crawling out of my depression and finishing a degree in English, I realized the impact of writing and speaking. God has allowed me to make multiple mission trips to Africa, Jamaica, and Gulf Coast.  I have met many fellow workers, and widened my understanding of mission work.  God tore apart my good dream of being a missionary and gave me a deeper understanding of obedience and of reaching people in multiple ways. 

The fourth step is to keep a journal of God’s work in my life and read it often.  This is the easiest step and the one most likely forgotten.  Never allow myself to forget how many times God’s fingers have been in the midst of the whirlwind.  Never forget the rocky road may be the best road.  Never forget the good path is not enough for the godly.

When times are good, be happy;
   but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
   as well as the other.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 

Dear Lord, Never let me forget the whirlwind, the rocky road, and the broken heart are in your hands.  Let me always remember your rod and staff are necessary tools of the shepherd. Let me rest in the midst of my struggles.  You are my God and I am ever before your presence.

Friendship

God is our refuge and strength,
   an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
   God will help her at break of day.

Psalm 46: 1-5

I love my friend.  He walks down the hall with a bounce in his step and I wonder what makes him happy.  He would tell me it is the music, or the compliments, maybe a job well done.  But I wonder what is it deep down inside which makes him smile when he is alone.  Observation tells me it is definitely his children, probably his friends, most likely his job. 

We both know how to go to Jesus and come back happy.  We practice Christian discipleship in prayer, bible study, sing praises, and fellowship with other Christians.  We have both been through hardships of loss and confusion when God does not do or give as we expect.  We cry in the late hours and struggle to put the pain into God’s context, knowing only God can explain the plan.  We wake up the next morning, washed clean by the Spirit and prepared to step out onto the path again, not quite sure what the day will bring.

Yet, he still walks with a bounce as if the earth got a little lighter and he reached his hand up into heaven for a moment.  He has found the ever flowing river of God, the water that carries us like giggling children further along.  God is his refuge and strength.  God’s river fills him with joy and gladness.

It makes me smile to watch him walk away knowing he is smiling from his heart, knowing that God cannot fail.  If we rely on God instead of ourselves the joy will always return no matter what obstacles may come.  Is that not what true friendship embodies?  The patience to walk with others down God’s road and the delight in watching their joy as God wipes away every tear from their eyes.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain,

for the old order of things has passed away.

Revelation 21:4

Dear Lord, let me always remember you ability to protect us and to wipe away all the tears.  May your protection, joy, and peace forever abide in my life and the lives of my friends.

A song in my heart

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
   my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
   and with my song I praise him. 

Psalm 28:7

Some of the most reassuring verses in the Bible come from the Psalms.  They recite praise, lament injustice, comfort the sick, rejoice in blessing, and celebrate God’s creation.  From birth through joy and hardship, even unto death the Psalms echo our experiences.  Can there be any human experience which is not present in at least one Psalm?    

Each experience, each chapter was written to sing with musical instruments.  Many chapters begin with musical explanations of “A Maskil”, “to the tune of Lillies”, or “to the tune A Dove on Distant Oaks.”  Some were written for a specific person to sing such as the Director of Music, Sons of Korah, David, or Asaph.  Others were written for the congregation as wedding songs, prayer petitions, or songs of ascent.  

It is as though God and the Jewish people knew life could only be fully explained when retold through song.  Music and poetry capture the depth of emotions when simple words will not satisfy.  The blending of music, poetry, and voice into a chord of three strands wraps itself around the human heart, tugging against memories, bringing the joy and pain of life into full view.

What a privilege to stand before the congregation offering the chord of three strands to touch their hearts.  It is a blessing to participate in a choir with so many gifted people, and in a church where music is a vital part of worship.  How could I not sing with joy in my heart?   

Dear Lord, you are my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in you, and you help me. My heart leaps for joy, and with songs I praise you.  

Forgiving the Unrepentant

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”    Luke 17:3-5

How do I forgive someone who refuses to repent?  When a coworker constantly gives me dirty-looks?  A relative’s never ending racist jokes.  A sibling’s broken promises.  A drunk, a gossip, a liar.

Jesus tells us to forgive seventy seven times, but he also tells us to treat the unrepentant as a pagan or tax collector, Matthew 18: 15-17.  What am I to do with the unrepentant that might not be a Christian, or belongs to another church and refuses discussion?  Do I bite my tongue and keep smiling?  Do I practice forgiveness with my mouth and hope my heart will follow?  Should I shake the dust from my feet and walk away?  Perhaps just pray for a miracle, either in me or them?

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34.  These people are not nailing me to the cross and casting lots for my clothes.  Yet, I am hesitant to forgive the unrepentant who seem to know what they are doing and don’t care that it offends others.  Perhaps they have no ability to change and choose to hide their helplessness in bravado. 
 

I have decided to set forgiveness aside for the unrepentant.  Instead, I will pray for their happiness.  Pray that they may find Jesus and understand his love for them.  Pray their burdens will be lighter.  Pray they will enter a Bible study designed especially for them.  Pray that I may be one of the people to offer them a cool glass of water when they are parched.  An offer made without obligation or expectation.

Dear Lord, you are my joy and my delight.  May I offer happiness and joy to others as you offer it to me.  Your love is as underserved as a small child, throwing a temper tantrum, being scooped up and hugged without reservation.