What is EDGE-X?

Evangelize the Lost, Disciple the Found, Give back to the Community, Edify the Church, all to eXalt the Savior.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Dance

Hey everyone!

The other morning, I was going through my suitcase, trying to decide what to wear, when I noticed my blue University Swingers shirt. I hadn't wore it in a while, so I pulled it out and threw it on my bed. After getting everything else I needed for the shower, I went to pick up the shirt and saw, on the back in big, bold letters, was written "LEAD".

Surprisingly, I felt convicted. Originally, the shirt was designed for the guys in the club and was meant to be paired up with the girl's pink shirts which said "FOLLOW" on the back. So, when dancing together, the blue and pink shirts would read "LEAD" and "FOLLOW", respectively. I never thought anything of it before, but as that shirt sat there laying on my bed, staring at me, I felt strangely convicted.

All of the sudden, the shirt took on a spiritual sense. In the dance of life, who was doing the leading? In an American mindset, I was to be doing the leading. I am in control of myself. I gotta look out for number one. Only I can decide my destiny. I direct my steps. But as I looked at that shirt, I realized I bought the wrong shirt. I should have bought the pink one.

If I claim to be a Christian, then God should be doing the leading. If life were a dance, God is Lead, and I am Follow. If any of you have ever danced with another person before, then you know that two people can't be leading together. One must lead, one must follow.When two try to lead.... well, the dance falls apart. In the relationship between man and God, God cannot take a backseat. It's against His nature. So that leaves us: do we try to lead, or do we follow?

I would follow because God knows the dance by heart. I don't. Sometimes you have to improvise, and if that were to happen, I have to be able to follow Him. However, God does not force us to follow Him. He lets us do as we choose. If we start trying to be independent, He pushes us away, letting us do as we will until we fall on our face and watch as everyone in the audience laughs or groans. Then He waltzes over to us, arm extended, smiling that wonderful, forgiving smile of His, and helps us up to join Him again in the dance of life.

It's all about trust. If any of you have ever followed in a dance before (I have not, because I am not a woman), then you know it takes an amazing amount of trust in the Lead. Sometimes, you, as a Follow, will have to be dipped, flipped, or lifted. Do we trust our Lead in life like we should?

On the other hand, I have been Lead in dance, so I know what it is like to work with a girl who (1) does not trust me or (2) does not let me lead. IT IS SO ANNOYING! You try to dip her and she tenses up and you almost loose balance trying to shift your weight to compensate. The whole effect is lost. It looks awkward and clunky. Or if she thinks her way is better, when I try to lead her one direction, she goes the other way and we end up bumping heads or falling on top of each other. I can only imagine how frustrated God can get at times. That makes me sad, realizing that I haven't been doing what He asked.

Dancing takes an immense amount of connection with the other individual. You have to be able to read their every move. Sometimes, just a glance of their eyes or a shift in their grip could mean a totally different move than before. You have to be ready to adjust. You have to get to know them, inside and out. Get to know their every detail. Get to know how they work and how they speak. Get the picture?

Are you truly dancing with God or are you trying to lead your own solo routine?

Following His Call,
Adam
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

2 comments:

  1. I really like the Idea of dancing as an analagy of our relationship with Christ! I have often seen the other end of the example as a Follow, and it is very tempting for the Follow to try to be the Lead. Similarly, (though this doesn't apply to the analagy with God) it isn't easy to dance with a guy who can't Lead. This is why it is far easier for the Lead to teach the Follow new steps -which does apply to the God analagy, in which case it is far better for us to let God not only lead the way, but also show us how to do what He wants us to do, too.

    Also, I don't think you would look very good in pink.

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  2. LOL! thanks deanna! youre awesome!

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