Friday, January 9, 2009

Dance With Me?

    There’s this cheesy movie that I love.  I used to think that I loved it because it was the picture of the feminine heart coming alive.  But today as I sat with Jesus talking about this dance that He has led me in,  I realized something.  I love the movie, “Strictly Ballroom” because parts of it  represent, me.


     The movie starts out with a dancer who wants to dance his own steps.   Everyone is bound by the dance federation steps.  They don’t want to break the rules and dance outside what the federation says is allowed.  Scott is unlike the others.  He wants to be free in dance but cannot find a partner who will comply.  So he dances alone, that is until Fran shows up.


      She appears on the scene, inexperienced, looking like “frump girl”.  Timidly she looks at Scott and says, “I want to dance with you, your way.”


      Scott begins to take her one step at a time.  Though she knew some of the basics, this was different.  There was much she didn’t know.  Therefore she gave herself over to him to lead  and teach her the way of the dance.


     With each dance lesson you see a little more of “frump girl’s” guises disappear.  The more she dances in the arms of Scott, surrendered to His lead, the more her beauty unfolds.  First she loses her oversized glasses, then the outlandish hairstyle, her clothing changes, and her complexion clears up.  Little by little Fran’s hidden beauty spills out as she learns the way of the dance.  By the end of the movie she is absolutely stunning.


      I see parallels that speak to something inside me.  Jesus wants to dance His steps with me.   For too many years I have been bound by my religious activity for Him.  I have been traveling down a path of “pleasing God”.  I didn’t trust that I could just “be” in His embrace.  He invites me to abandon the law and learn to live in the moments of life with Him, trusting His work in me to be enough.  


      He comes to me and extends the invitation.  “Jewel, will you dance with me?”  “I want to dance my way.”  “Will you trust me?  “Will you dance with me?”


     I put my hand in His and the dance begins.  He starts out teaching me the steps of accepting His love.  As He reveals His thoughts towards me the guises I had established begin to drop away.   No longer in need of my performance giving me value, I begin to enter in to who He tells me I am.  His love carries me to places I have never dreamed and awakens me to truths I have never known.


     It all began with an invitation.  “Dance with me?” Jesus asked.  “Yes, Jesus, I will dance with you”, I reply.   He says to me, “Put your hand in mine, follow my lead, step where I take you, rest in my embrace.”  “Don’t try to implement your own steps.”  “Trust ME with the dance.”


     In the beauty of the dance, something profound is happening inside of me.  There’s a settledness finding it’s way in me as I am being changed.  Old things that once held me captive are falling off as He beckons me to rest in His arms that hold me close. The beauty of Him in me is being revealed and I am undone.  


     This has been unlike anything I have ever experienced before.  He has swept me off of my feet and I am ruined for the ordinary.  This fierce love that I have found consumes me.  I am captivated by the gaze of my dance partner and He is captivated with me.


     To each of us He extends the invitation.  “Will you dance with me?”  There are no two dances alike.  The dance of living in the beauty of the Lord is tailor made to each person.  If you will but put your hand in His and allow Him to teach you the dance of love, He will.  


     He’s had his eye on you.  His gaze has found you and He seeks you out.  With every fiber of His being He longs to love you into the dance of His arms.  What say ye, will You dance His steps?

©copyrighted:  2008  Julie L. Todd

14 comments:

LisaShaw said... Reply to comment

Julie!

This is wonderful!!

Lord, I'm reading to dance with You.

Karen said... Reply to comment

So beautifully written, Julie! I, too, was bound by trappings that needed to drop away. Yes, Lord, I accept! My prayer is to always allow my Saviour to lead and guide me in my dance with Him.

Red Bridges Home said... Reply to comment

Wonderfully written. I love that! - I need to see that movie - more important though - I totally get your connection in this. God is most definatly the best dance partner ever.

Unknown said... Reply to comment

Isn't God good to use things in this world to move us in His direction?

My friend, Julie. You have so encouraged me with the words you shared on my post at my blog. I will be writing more this week about the journey and the story God is telling me in my heart.

None of this is worthwhile without Him, Redemption and Testimony. And He is right this minute working all three in our lives.

Blessings to you and thank you again.

Love,
MB

Laura said... Reply to comment

I'm dancing...

Your posts always inspire me to move in time with HIm.

Hope your weekend is sweet, Julie.

:)Laura

Joyful said... Reply to comment

My heart beats in rhythm with this post. I wrote a devotional once entitled, "Shall We Dance?", and it expressed these very same thoughts.

I've never seen this movie, but it sounds wonderful! I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

In His arms,
Joy

2nd Cup of Coffee said... Reply to comment

Beautiful, Julie. Thanks for sharing our of your own personal experience to help others. Off topic-I got that lamp at Hobby Lobby. They seem to be sporting a lot of French influenced things nowawadays.

Carol said... Reply to comment

Thanks for your comments at the Cafe. God bless! Carol

deb said... Reply to comment

I just knew today would be a good day to visit your blog. Thank you for reminding me of the beauty and completeness of his love for us.
deb

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said... Reply to comment

Profound as always. This was so beautiful...and to dance with Jesus...to let him Lead...whew...precious...so necessary and s precious

deb said... Reply to comment

Thanks for asking after me, Julie. Today has been really tough. We're going through something tough right now, and my pregnancy hormones are exacerbating it all and leaking into other things.

If you want, we can PM through the Well.
deb

Tea with Tiffany said... Reply to comment

I, too, have heard HIS voice and invitation to dance. I've found myself undone and overwhelmed as I allow Him to look deep into my eyes and speak love and song over me. It's the greatest dance ever. Nothing compares to dancing with the King of kings, the Prince of Peace. He is my dance.

Julie, you know where all hope and joy is found. Your posts are evident you've found Him in your life dance. Thank you again for pouring out words that speak to that love place in my heart. My heart beats for more of Him. I'm with you 100 percent. Cheering you on. Cheering all of us on to step into His arms.

I say, "Dance, girl. Dance Jewel every day with your Prince. You are graceful and beautiful in His embrace."

Jesus, I'm here. Ready to dance today.

Cathy said... Reply to comment

What a beautiful post and a beautiful thought. Dancing with Jesus! My desire is to dance with Him in his steps and ways!

Karin said... Reply to comment

He is so patient with someone like me who has two left feet and no sense of rhythm.