Care to Dance?

One of my most precious memories is the father-daughter dance when I was married. How wonderful it was to smoothly (relatively!) cover the dance floor, guided by the man who had loved and supported me all my life.

Thanks to a series of family weddings as I was growing up, Dad and I had some authentic opportunities to practice. I remember him teaching me the “box” step in our living room - one, two, back one, one, two, back one…. After a while, (we are talking years here!) we could more or less move in sync and it felt quite natural. I came to love dancing with my dad.

I learned to trust his leading. He could carry on a quiet conversation with me while keeping an eye on the couples around us. He would gently steer us away from potential collisions. This was usually quite successful!

One morning, as I was asking the Lord for guidance, a dance sprang to mind. I pictured myself dancing my way through the day, directed by the Holy Spirit. I knew I would need to give Him space to guide and then trust Him enough to follow the nudgings He would no doubt provide. It is an image I come back to often.

This dance is often not fluid, and that’s on me! Many times, I step on toes, trying to go my own way. I can be clumsy when I am not paying attention, carelessly using my words in hurtful ways. I am often stiff-necked, refusing to relinquish control of some area of my life or another. But, overall, this image of ballroom dancing, with the Holy Spirit as my partner, serves me well. Staying in sync with the Lord is a goal worthy of my focus and effort.

As I discovered while learning to dance with my dad, practice makes…. well...better!