Dancing – A reflection of our walk with the Lord
by Nancy Harry
God said to me, “Come dance with me. Let me be your leading man.”
What is “dance?” According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, it is a series of rhythmic and patterned bodily movements usually performed to music. It is the art of dancing.
I think of ‘dancing with a partner’ as moving in unison - moving as one.
Are you familiar with Anne Murray’s song “Could I Have This Dance?” The song says, “Could I have this dance for the rest of my life? Will you be my partner every night? When we’re together it feels so right, could I have this dance for the rest of my life? I’ll always remember that magic moment, when I held you close to me. As we moved together I knew forever, you’re all I’ll ever need.” What wonderful words to express a couple moving through the rest of their lives as one, staying close, and needing no other - as they sanctified their marriage with wedding vows.
What a beautiful song to sing to our God, as well: “Could I have this dance for the rest of my life. Will you be my partner every [day]? When we’re together it feels so right, could I have this dance for the rest of my life? I’ll always remember that [special] moment, when [you] held [me] close to [you]. As we moved together I knew forever, you’re all I’ll ever need.”
God said to me, “I am so close, yet sometimes you act like I’m not here.” Could God say this to you too? Do you want to know how close He really is, then look at partners dancing. See how close they are standing together; He is this close to us. He is right here. He is touching us. If we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we know the Holy Spirit is also living in us.
As the dance begins, the man normally moves forward and the woman backwards. Moving backwards you can’t see what is behind you. Does one dance with fear and panic because they don’t know what’s coming up? Afraid they might run into something? No, actually they are completely relaxed in their partner’s arms, trusting him to guide them.
God says, “Let go of your fears, let go of your doubts; trust in me. I will guide you.” Just as a partner is trusted to guide you in dance, we need to trust God to guide us. Then we don’t have to be fearful of what is ahead.
When the leading man started moving, his partner moved with him. He didn’t run into or over his partner. How did his partner know to move, where to move, how to move? Let me explain. The man leads in dance. The woman focuses on the man, watching, sensing, and feeling the slightest movement. This gives her the ability to move with him in perfect unison, as he guides and leads her with the slightest pressure of his hands and movement of his body.
God says, “Come and dance with me. Let me be your leading man.” Are we watching, sensing, feeling the slightest movement of God, of the Holy Spirit in us, the whisper of His voice, so we can move with Him? You often can’t even see the leading taking place, yet the partner moves easily. It’s not necessary for him to yank or throw his partner around to get them to do what he wants them to. God doesn’t want to have to do that either to get our attention. The Holy Spirit prefers to be a gentleman. As you begin to sense the moving of God, begin to move with Him in perfect unison.
Let me break this down for you even more. Before the dance begins, a couple has to know that the man starts with the left foot and the woman with the right foot. They have to know who will do the leading. So some knowledge is needed. In the same way, if we want to move with God, we should be familiar with His ways and His thoughts. We have to have the knowledge of how God works. This you learn by reading His word and by hearing His word.
Now what can be done to prepare to start dancing? Since the woman knows she will be moving her right foot first, she stands with the weight of her body already on her left foot, leaving her right foot free to move the instant she is led to move. Do we need preparation to move with God? Our prayers are good preparation. They help us to learn to listen to and discern his voice, and know the feel of His presence. Then, when we feel His movement or hear His voice we can follow instantly.
God is saying to all of us: “Come and dance with me. Focus on me. Move with Me. For I Am your leading man.
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