Reason #108
I love to dance. I grew up taking jazz, tap and ballet and danced all the way through high school and my first year of college. Of couse, this was choreographed, solo dancing. Each girl for herself. A well rehearsed routine. By the time a performance presented itself, I knew the dance forwards and backwards. I would go through the moves in my head making sure I had them right because I was responsible for each one. Every beat couted, every movement memorized.
Last month, I started going to dance classes with a friend. Because I have a pretty extensive background in dance, I figured I would have this down in no time. I didn't think it would be too much of a challenge for me. Wrong! I have been taking Salsa and West Coast classes, and they are hard. I don't know the moves, the routine is new and different each week, and I have to dance with a partner. On top of that, the routine is flexible depending on how your partner reacts to your movements. I think the hardest part of dancing with a partner is that you have to depend on that person. In partner dancing, the male takes the lead, and I've noticed that I have had an exceptionally hard time NOT taking the lead. I am a take charge kind of girl, so to depend on someone else to get me from one place to the next goes against my natural tendencies. They keep reminding me, "Relax. Lean back and let him pull you to him. Let him lead you to the right spot." Well, I know where I want to get, so I'd just rather get there myself. But the dances weren't desiged for two leaders, and having two leaders doesn't make for a beautiful routine. Plus, it's the mixing of both partners moves that completes the dance. The strenght of the leader and the grace of the follower mixing together, that's how it was intended. Two people, moving in sync, on the same beat, each doing their part, one leading and one following.
Occasionally, I get the opportunity to dance with the instructor. I actually enjoy when these opportunities happen because he knows exactly what to do. Being the male, and taking the lead, he moves me right where I need to be and makes me look like a pro. Really, I'm just sort of giving in and letting him guide me. It's amazing, even though I hardly know what I'm doing, when I dance with him, it looks as if it is effortless for me. He does all the work and I just go along with it. I'm not really too concerned whether or not I'm doing the routine correctly because he knows how to maneuver our bodies to make it appear seamless. Plus, he created the routine so he knows exactly what to do to get the desired outcome. And he does it in a gentle but firm way. By placing his hand on a certain part of my back, pushing my arm, or raising my hand, he can get me to move in the direction he wants, leading me exactly to where I need to be. All I have to do is just relax, give in a little, let him guide, and a really lovely thing takes place. Enjoyable, too!
And as I drove home from dance class, I started to think about my relationship with the Lord. A relationship that was intended to have one leader one follower. And life, the routine. My gentle leader, the one who knows what He is doing, takes me by the hand and we begin to move. I can stay on beat pretty well but I don't always know the routine. I want to know the choreography. I want every step accounted for. I want to memorize every movement. But there's not a rehearsal and the movements change based on reactions. When I begin to resist His leading, the dancing begins to get a little more difficult. I can't get my steps right and my movements aren't flowing. I start to feel uncomfortable and unsure, so He begins to firmly guide me. Maybe He has to press a little harder or pull a little closer to get me to realize that I am resisting, that I'm trying to lead. And I start to give in, relax some, trust Him. When I begin to sink into His hold, I see how simple it is. My feet begin moving effortlessly. The spins come easier and the twists aren't so confusing. After a while, I realize that He's actually the one doing the work but I have ended up in all the right spots because I have trusted His guidance. And even though I don't know the steps, they come naturally because I am following His lead. I'm allowing the leader to create the steps as the music plays and I'm simply responding to His prompting. Before long, it begins to look seamless and feels effortless. And I'm so thankful that all I have to do is just let Him move me. Guide me to where He needs me to be. My responsibility, my designated part, is to follow. And it's beautiful thing when we begin to move together, to the same beat, each doing our own part, with Him leading and me following. This is how it was designed and intended. And it's quite enjoyable, too!
#108 - Because He leads me.
"Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." - Psalm 25:4-5
Last month, I started going to dance classes with a friend. Because I have a pretty extensive background in dance, I figured I would have this down in no time. I didn't think it would be too much of a challenge for me. Wrong! I have been taking Salsa and West Coast classes, and they are hard. I don't know the moves, the routine is new and different each week, and I have to dance with a partner. On top of that, the routine is flexible depending on how your partner reacts to your movements. I think the hardest part of dancing with a partner is that you have to depend on that person. In partner dancing, the male takes the lead, and I've noticed that I have had an exceptionally hard time NOT taking the lead. I am a take charge kind of girl, so to depend on someone else to get me from one place to the next goes against my natural tendencies. They keep reminding me, "Relax. Lean back and let him pull you to him. Let him lead you to the right spot." Well, I know where I want to get, so I'd just rather get there myself. But the dances weren't desiged for two leaders, and having two leaders doesn't make for a beautiful routine. Plus, it's the mixing of both partners moves that completes the dance. The strenght of the leader and the grace of the follower mixing together, that's how it was intended. Two people, moving in sync, on the same beat, each doing their part, one leading and one following.
Occasionally, I get the opportunity to dance with the instructor. I actually enjoy when these opportunities happen because he knows exactly what to do. Being the male, and taking the lead, he moves me right where I need to be and makes me look like a pro. Really, I'm just sort of giving in and letting him guide me. It's amazing, even though I hardly know what I'm doing, when I dance with him, it looks as if it is effortless for me. He does all the work and I just go along with it. I'm not really too concerned whether or not I'm doing the routine correctly because he knows how to maneuver our bodies to make it appear seamless. Plus, he created the routine so he knows exactly what to do to get the desired outcome. And he does it in a gentle but firm way. By placing his hand on a certain part of my back, pushing my arm, or raising my hand, he can get me to move in the direction he wants, leading me exactly to where I need to be. All I have to do is just relax, give in a little, let him guide, and a really lovely thing takes place. Enjoyable, too!
And as I drove home from dance class, I started to think about my relationship with the Lord. A relationship that was intended to have one leader one follower. And life, the routine. My gentle leader, the one who knows what He is doing, takes me by the hand and we begin to move. I can stay on beat pretty well but I don't always know the routine. I want to know the choreography. I want every step accounted for. I want to memorize every movement. But there's not a rehearsal and the movements change based on reactions. When I begin to resist His leading, the dancing begins to get a little more difficult. I can't get my steps right and my movements aren't flowing. I start to feel uncomfortable and unsure, so He begins to firmly guide me. Maybe He has to press a little harder or pull a little closer to get me to realize that I am resisting, that I'm trying to lead. And I start to give in, relax some, trust Him. When I begin to sink into His hold, I see how simple it is. My feet begin moving effortlessly. The spins come easier and the twists aren't so confusing. After a while, I realize that He's actually the one doing the work but I have ended up in all the right spots because I have trusted His guidance. And even though I don't know the steps, they come naturally because I am following His lead. I'm allowing the leader to create the steps as the music plays and I'm simply responding to His prompting. Before long, it begins to look seamless and feels effortless. And I'm so thankful that all I have to do is just let Him move me. Guide me to where He needs me to be. My responsibility, my designated part, is to follow. And it's beautiful thing when we begin to move together, to the same beat, each doing our own part, with Him leading and me following. This is how it was designed and intended. And it's quite enjoyable, too!
#108 - Because He leads me.
"Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." - Psalm 25:4-5