Dancing Shoes
As you could probably guess, growing up in a Mennonite family culture, dancing just wasn't part of my training. So, if you would have asked me 5 years ago, if I was a dancer, I would have laughed in your face. Me? A dancer? I have never attempted the dance floor. And I am ok with that - I support the idea that some dancing is suggestive, provacative, ungodly. I am glad I was not permitted to take part in that.
BUT! The pull is there. I know in my knower, that God has designed me to dance! I am a dancer at heart. I just don't know how to dance! It has been about 3 years now, that I have acknowledged this desire to dance. Not dirty dancing, of course. But worship dance! I want to be free, in my body, to express these incredible emotions pent up inside of me, that want to declare what an awesome God I serve!
I love the references to David, dancing before the Lord! I want to dance upon injustice! I want to dance upon the head of the serpent. I want to dance on the threshing floor - separating the wheat from the chaff.
I never really gave it a thought what my dancing shoes would look like, when I started to really dance.
I am not a heels kind of girl. Infact, I HATE shoe shopping! My feet are quite wide, and large, making it difficult to find comfortable, sassy shoes that I like. Ballet slippers are not my thing either. If I am going to be dancing on the head of the serpent, I think I need some powerful shoes, don't you?
Yesterday, I went into the powder room, and Madison cute cow"girl" boots I bought her last week, were sitting on the floor in front of the toilet. As I picked them up with a sigh, thinking "Can't anyone put away their own shoes?", I glanced at the tiny sign on the back of the toilet. The sign reads "Listen to your heart. Dance!" In that holy moment in the bathroom, of all places, I realized I was holding a pair of dancing shoes!
You see, just yesterday, I broke down and bought myself my very first pair of cowboy boots! I couldn't quite justify the price - so I intended to give them to Brian, and tell him to give them to me for Christmas. But they kept calling my name. (Smile). I put them on my feet. I thought I would give them a trial run when I went to pick the kids up at school and take a short trip to Walmart. It came as a delightful surprise to me: It felt quite natural to have them on my feet! Why did I wait so long!? As I drove to school, I had an exciting sense that this would not be my last pair of boots! Do I smell adventure?
Reminds me of the song by Steven Curtis Chapman, "Saddle Up Your Horses". The lyrics were running through my head.
"Saddle up your horses, we got a trail to blaze. Through the wild blue yonder of GOD'S AMAZING GRACE! We'll follow our leader into the glorious unknown! THIS IS A LIFE LIKE NO OTHER! THIS IS THE GREAT ADVENTURE!"
Another song on my mind: "Oh I feel like dancing. It's foolishness, I know! But when the world has seen the light, they will dance with joy, like I'm dancing now! I could sing of YOUR love forever, I could sing of your love forever! I could sing of your love forever! I could sing of your love forever!"
In 2008, I had a word imprinted in my heart - when I am freed to dance, to laugh, to run, then the walls around my daughters heart would fall. Now it is beginning to make sense. This precious daughter of mine has a dream of owning a horse. She participated in horse camp last summer and is looking forward to doing it again. Is it any coincidence that as we consider her dream, that God is stirring a dream, that lay dormant in my heart? One to ride? One dance on the line dancing floor or square dancing floor? One to gallop on a horse? One to blare out my country western songs (not the trashy ones). One to celebrate life!?
He is breaking off of me chains that have held me captive. And as I experience freedom, my daughter will too. Maybe all the horseback riding we do together will be the bonding time that cements our relationship more than ever before. Come Lord Jesus! Break down those walls! Yee Haw!
BUT! The pull is there. I know in my knower, that God has designed me to dance! I am a dancer at heart. I just don't know how to dance! It has been about 3 years now, that I have acknowledged this desire to dance. Not dirty dancing, of course. But worship dance! I want to be free, in my body, to express these incredible emotions pent up inside of me, that want to declare what an awesome God I serve!
I love the references to David, dancing before the Lord! I want to dance upon injustice! I want to dance upon the head of the serpent. I want to dance on the threshing floor - separating the wheat from the chaff.
I never really gave it a thought what my dancing shoes would look like, when I started to really dance.
I am not a heels kind of girl. Infact, I HATE shoe shopping! My feet are quite wide, and large, making it difficult to find comfortable, sassy shoes that I like. Ballet slippers are not my thing either. If I am going to be dancing on the head of the serpent, I think I need some powerful shoes, don't you?
Yesterday, I went into the powder room, and Madison cute cow"girl" boots I bought her last week, were sitting on the floor in front of the toilet. As I picked them up with a sigh, thinking "Can't anyone put away their own shoes?", I glanced at the tiny sign on the back of the toilet. The sign reads "Listen to your heart. Dance!" In that holy moment in the bathroom, of all places, I realized I was holding a pair of dancing shoes!
Reminds me of the song by Steven Curtis Chapman, "Saddle Up Your Horses". The lyrics were running through my head.
"Saddle up your horses, we got a trail to blaze. Through the wild blue yonder of GOD'S AMAZING GRACE! We'll follow our leader into the glorious unknown! THIS IS A LIFE LIKE NO OTHER! THIS IS THE GREAT ADVENTURE!"
Another song on my mind: "Oh I feel like dancing. It's foolishness, I know! But when the world has seen the light, they will dance with joy, like I'm dancing now! I could sing of YOUR love forever, I could sing of your love forever! I could sing of your love forever! I could sing of your love forever!"
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| My Dancing Shoes! |
In 2008, I had a word imprinted in my heart - when I am freed to dance, to laugh, to run, then the walls around my daughters heart would fall. Now it is beginning to make sense. This precious daughter of mine has a dream of owning a horse. She participated in horse camp last summer and is looking forward to doing it again. Is it any coincidence that as we consider her dream, that God is stirring a dream, that lay dormant in my heart? One to ride? One dance on the line dancing floor or square dancing floor? One to gallop on a horse? One to blare out my country western songs (not the trashy ones). One to celebrate life!?
He is breaking off of me chains that have held me captive. And as I experience freedom, my daughter will too. Maybe all the horseback riding we do together will be the bonding time that cements our relationship more than ever before. Come Lord Jesus! Break down those walls! Yee Haw!
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