Let’s begin todays post with the solid proven fact that: dancing is wonderful.

It is good for your heart and face. Try dancing without smiling, or at the very least laughing at how ridiculous you look. I’ve always been told I’m a natural at dancing (humble brag) – which I absolutely credit to the partners I’ve danced with. For New Years Eve 2014/2015 (seriously, which year do you write if its New Years Eve?) a group of us went swing dancing.

We learned the basics and were then let loose into this dance culture of being asked by anyone and everyone if we cared to dance (except Jason, who was mackin’ on ALL the older ladies). What amazed me is how well I could follow the seasoned dancers. And, not just because of my lightly latin’d blood but because it’s easy to follow good leaders.

It’s also easy to follow when you let go.

Dancing has a beautiful and unexplainable balance between structure and letting your body flow. Specifically swing dancing, the girls would have to hold their arms firm against the arm and shoulder of the men they were dancing with. Even in their resistance to keep form they were still leaning into the hold the men would have on their back to guide the direction and steps in which they would take.

Even in the resistance they were leaning in.

G-d has been speaking to me for a while about this thought of dancing – of joy. Before I left the US of A one of my friends spoke over me to a fear that I had of returning to the arms of G-d. He told me I was acting like the prodigal son, in that, I was walking back not only to G-d, but to His heart with a fear that the encounter would be confrontational… my friend reminded me that the encounter would be a dance – as if the moment when my heart was finally aligned with Christ it wouldn’t be this overwhelming, smothering hug but he saw me begin to dance perfectly in step with the Father and find the flow of structure and forward movements along with the beauty of being with a faithful, seasoned partner who I could just let go and follow.

I find swing dancing to be one of the most beautiful dances that the dancers can dance – but, I’m a sucker for dances that require two. It’s been a while that G-d has been inviting me by different means to dance with Him; to allow myself to learn His steps and trust that where HE guides me will be beautiful. I didn’t grow up dancing or really have any formal training but it IS something that I enjoy and I think G-d knows that. I think He knows what speaks to my heart because He formed my heart. He knows that a large part of me dancing with Him was full of my healing. It was full of me coming home.

I was recently introduced to a song and more importantly I was introduced to a story of healing. I watched this woman’s story as I was walking on a treadmill at the gym and began to cry. G-d reminded me of all the times He asked me to dance with Him while I was healing, little did I know that He was offering me the strength to receive joy, hope and peace. Her name was Amanda, she suffered with an illness that left her in a wheelchair and only in the house of G-d and in worship was she able to find herself strong enough to just praise. In her moments in church and in the presence of G-d she found healing and hope, she found her step and began to dance with the Father and what a beautiful thing her story is!

One of the things that this wonderful woman said that, “Dancing was everything that being bed bound wasn’t” – Dancing represented to her nothing that her sickness knew. Freedom, joy, love, a smile, strength, laughter and peace. Dancing with Christ is everything that hopelessness wasn’t. Dancing with the Father is everything that depression can never take away. Dancing and learning the steps of G-d is something that confusion can never take ahold of. Dancing with the Saviour is something that death can never challenge. Healing is found when we dance with G-d. In many more ways than one.

“Now hope is a much easier thing because I’ve seen G-d come through… because I know how faithful G-d is.”

It’s unreal how many times I’ve seen Jesus come through for me. It’s unfair how many times He has invited me to dance with Him and I’ve turned Him down. But, His forgiveness is sweet and His love is big.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FPUFx3EPw0 – The Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSi3jEXU3Zg – The Song