One sunny summer day a new friend shared with me her hearts desire being revealed to her while sitting beside her pool with our combined five kids squealing and splashing in the water. It wasn’t a deep hidden secret, it was a beautiful thing that she hadn’t been able to do, or where to go and wondered if it would honor God. Her summer reading material by Rick Warren was discovering what it is you would get up to do at 4 am and love every minute of it. She is a better morning person than I am but I had to really ponder that one. It was an immediate decision for her as she has skated; dance roller skated rather, between the awkward age 11-16. She loved the dancing part and was bored with the skating technique she had to master in order to enjoy the dance. Waltz’s, Foxtrots and others made her heart feel alive as she worked so hard each day to compete at her best level. Now at 37 she was confirmed that God could use her passion for dance to touch the lives of others. She found a ballroom studio and enrolled with an instructor. Her fears were clearly needless as God brought her to a young man who was also a firm Christian with a love of dance he shared with his fiancé as well.
Months later she invited me to come join her at a dance party the studio put on each Friday. I was driving there, dressed to dance as she has instructed (a point my husband encouraged me to do as well) and I was scared. As I came closer to the studio the butterflies danced in my stomach. Excuses came easy. I could just go to the mall and tell my friend that I had errands to run. I was sure I would embarrass myself and others; maybe I could go but just watch. I could go to the movies and sit there in the dark. Then a little voice inside of me said, “This is it, what you’ve been waiting for. Go and join the fun!”
I arrived and shocked my friend ready to dance. We participated in the group class and then the music came on and we waited for those five magic words… “Would you like to dance?”
That night I was transformed from thinking about doing something wild and crazy to doing it as often as possible. There is nothing more satisfying in an evening for $7 and getting exercise while looking fine all dressed up! I began a romance with Ballroom dancing at that very moment. It was a new identity that I was learning about and wanted to know all I could as fast as I could. It was something that nothing else could do to make me feel like a woman. Not because of any man swooning over me or seeking romance, but to let my hair down and do something I truly loved doing. Then God gave me some frosting on my cake that night. Not only did I realize how much I loved ballroom dancing, I had some skills too. Wow!
I became that ballroom diva and I never want to let it go. The music the lights, the costumes and glamour! A girl’s dream of dressing up and going to the ball was finally fulfilled and it was my life. Then God showed me again that I didn’t have to do it alone, my new friend was there beside me and we giggled and cooed and went for it all together! We shall never live another dull Friday night at home or just hanging out, not when we can go dancing!
So what will you do at 4 am in the morning like nothing else? What brings you the greatest joy? What are you doing instead? How about trying out something you’ve always dreamed of trying and see how it makes you feel? Instead of letting life talk you out of it and finding excuses, take a risk. You just might discover something new that can bring you joy!
Two corrections: The book referenced was a book published by the Rick Warren Church, written by a woman in his ministry staff. The book asked what you would do in the middle of the night or something to that effect. Sorry for the sloppy facts, I didn't have my research team follow that one close enough for good reporting.
ReplyDelete