It’s a Dance

What comes to mind when you hear the word dance?

Movement

Awkward

Beautiful

Art

Emotional

Fun

Not me

I’m not coordinated

Take a few minutes and watch this video:

What did you notice about how the couple interacted? I noticed how fluidly they moved together. There is clearly a deeper, emotional connection that I would say comes from a trust they have built between the two of them. The movement, emotion, and flow is beautiful to watch – hard to look away, right? 

Today I want to share with you how a relationship with Jesus is like a dance. Four key elements found between two dance partners translate beautifully to the connection we have with Him. 

TRUST

 This is the biggest factor when choosing a partner – you have to trust them, right? If he is going to lead your steps, catch you when you leap, and spin you around, he better be solid. He should be strong and consistent. Whether it is a slow and graceful waltz or an upbeat swing dance, who leads? It is not us ladies. One of my friends has a talent for swing dancing. I, on the other hand, am not athletically or gracefully inclined. The beautiful thing about when we would go swing dancing is that I didn’t have to know all the exact ins and outs of the moves. I just needed the basic step and to remain loose, letting him take control so he could spin and lead me through it all. If you have a solid partner who knows what he is doing, it is so fun to just go with it! But, what usually happens when you don’t let your partner do the leading? It feels stiff and awkward, maybe a little forced? The rhythm can get off if you’re both trying to lead – nothing flows, for there can only be one leader. 

Who is leading in your relationship with Jesus? Do you trust Him to do so? What does the Bible say about God – is He a trustworthy partner/leader? 

Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Isaiah 58:11: “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water,whose waters do not fail.”

Psalm 37:23-24: “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.”

Proverbs 18:10: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”

INTIMACY

We usually envision something romantic when talking about dance, right? Like a couple’s first dance at their wedding for instance. Are they standing arm’s length away from each other? No! They are wrapped in each other’s embrace, gazes and focus only on each other. Your relationship with Jesus is not like an awkward middle school dance, swaying side to side, hardly moving, scared to touch each other. It is like a bride and his groom – so close they move as one. There’s an intimacy there! Even speaking more generally when it comes to a dance, there’s an inherent closeness. Your hands are touching, the man’s arm falling on the small of the woman’s back, leading her around the dance floor. When you dance with someone,  your faces end up fairly close too, right? You’re close enough to hear their heartbeat and look into their eyes. 

Isaiah 43:1: “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.’”

Psalm 139:1-10 (whole chapter really) The Lord formed and shaped you from the very beginning and knows everything about you, every detail. He will always be there for you. Even before you were even a twinkling in your mother’s eye, the Lord knew you. He knows your heart and your thoughts before you do! Talk about intimacy. 

Psalm 56:8: “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”

So often we take comfort in the fact that the Father knows the plans for our lives and the goodness He has; that He knows our days and has a purpose and good works laid out for us to do. But, we also should take comfort in the fact that it is not just the celebrations and days of sunshine He knows. He also knows the depths of sorrow, confusion, and hardship. He is close through it all. 

MOVEMENT

The very nature of a dance is movement; there is motion and a direction in some way or another. In a similar way, the Lord wants to take you places, to lead you to deeper places of trust, to greater reaches of His love, but you must keep moving. You must trust and follow His lead and His movements. He cannot lead you if you are sitting still, arms crossed. Neither can He lead you if you stiff-arm him! After I graduated from college, I worked for a season at a Christian family guest ranch in Colorado. Each week we would have a square dancing night with the guests. When the large group dances were over, the dance floor cleared, leaving room for couples and staff to engage in some two stepping. It was mesmerizing to watch! The way they moved so closely together; the man dipping and spinning and the woman trusting his hand to be right there at the exact moment it needed to be to catch her and use his strength to lead her on. It became a fun tradition for the male staff members to teach the female staff how to two step. As I mentioned earlier, I am not great at dancing. It isn’t something that comes naturally to me, so this was outside my comfort zone by a long shot. But, I said yes because I wanted to be able to sweep across the dance floor and have fun like the couples I had seen! About five minutes into my lesson, my friend stopped me and looked me in the eye, “Em, you have got to let me lead you.” My stubbornness and pride came through in my incredulous response to him, “I am!” He released a frustrated sigh, realizing I didn’t get it. So, he switched up our hand placement, with me in the lead role. To make his point, he grasped my hand and then extended it straight out, stiff and inflexible and said, “You try leading someone this way, go on try it!” Sheepishly I tried moving a few steps, but it we were fighting each other and I couldn’t get him to follow. ‘This is what you’re doing. Relax, loosen up, and just follow my lead.” 

Trying to learn how to two step reinforced something the Lord keeps reminding me of – one of my biggest struggles is letting go of control and trusting someone else. But, that is where the movement and the beauty comes from. So, in this metaphor, in your dance with Jesus, you must relax your grip and trust Him. Let go of your control; you are not supposed to lead. 

Isaiah 42:16: “And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.”

JOY

Dance brings a smile to people’s faces. Don’t you laugh when you’re doing a stupid dance at a wedding with a bunch of other people? It’s fun! It doesn’t matter if you look ridiculous. I know one of my favorite things in life is an impromptu dance party with my friends – sometimes in someone’s kitchen, backyard, or at the beach around a bonfire! Or, how your heart pounds and the biggest grin breaks out across your face when that special guy asks you to dance? Or, if you’re the guy, the excitement (and maybe relief) you feel when she says yes and places her hand in yours? It’s meant to be enjoyed. Life with Jesus is a step WAY above that. He promises if you remain close by His side, that your joy will be FULL; He promises nothing short of abundance! There’s so much joy in this life now that He wants to show you and experience with you. 

Psalm 16:11: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

John 15 – take a moment and read this chapter – it’s where joy and fullness come from – a place of abiding in Him

These four elements are key in our dance with Jesus, but how does this all begin anyway? 

It’s a choice.

The Gospel of Jesus is an open invitation to the greatest dance you will ever experience. Because of His cross and empty tomb, the way back to His embrace is open. Will you take the hand He offers and dance with Him? If you’ve accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, I would say you’ve said yes to this dancing invitation! 

And if you have said yes, will you stop fighting Him and just let Him lead? It’s much more enjoyable that way!

I challenge you to take a moment and ask yourself: where are you at in this metaphor?

• Hiding off in the shadows on the side against the wall

• Standing on the edge of the dance floor, unsure

• Dancing, but stiff as a board, staring at your feet, trying to make sure you do it exactly right

• Dancing, relaxed, and you may miss some steps, but you’re going with it

It takes practice and time to get familiar with His touch, the way He leads and speaks. There are still days I go off on my own, trying to lead or letting go of His hand, thinking I can do it my own way. It takes practice and time to develop the trust and intimacy. Keep at it, keep moving, for joy is only found in His arms. 

Listen to We Dance by Steffany Gretzinger:

Now, I challenge you to spend some time with the Lord – praying, listening, writing, maybe even drawing or painting. 

“And remind me of that song

The one You wrote for me”

What is the song He wrote for you? What is He speaking/reminding you of? Maybe it has to do with how He sees you or how He loves you. Is there a picture, word, or phrase He brings to mind? Write it down or draw it, then put it on display somewhere you can see it and be reminded of it every single day.