Dancing With the Father

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…” (Psalm 37:23)

So my guilty pleasure on Monday nights is the TV show Dancing with the Stars.  I’ve been really excited that the past couple of seasons have featured devout Christian personalities.  Candace Cameron Bure (Full House) was on last season and this season, Sadie Robertson (Duck Dynasty) is featured.  To me, dancing (and not just the dancing on TV) seems so intriguing and beautiful.  Every dance seems to tell a story and it’s fun to imagine what that story might be.  Funny side story: I have had ballroom dancing lessons…and yes, I can totally hear you laughing right now.  While these lessons may not have been “formal” lessons, dancing lessons were part of my eighth and ninth grade physical education curriculum.  Must not have done much though because I don’t remember a lick…plus most of those memories are in the “do not retrieve” section of my memory banks.  I’m definitely not coordinated enough to dance, but I’ll admit…it is fun to watch.

One thing I’ve noticed while watching people dance is that the next steps are very important.  The next step of any type of dance depends on the step that came before it.  If the footing is in the wrong place, the next step will be difficult or possibly even impossible to complete.  Dancers also have to depend greatly on their dancing partner on certain moves and maybe even lifts that are required as part of the routine and in every dance, one of the dance partners has to take the lead.   Through practice, perseverance, and teamwork, however, dancers can create a beautiful masterpiece as they follow through each next step of their routine.

So…how does this apply to us non-dancers?  How can we be sure that our “next steps” won’t result in missteps or even failure?  Psalm 37:23 says it simply and clearly, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.”  God knows the next steps of our lives.  He is ready and waiting to help us get to where we need to be.  The key for us is to give our steps…all of them…over to Him.  That can be hard to do.  As humans we want to be in charge and have it our way, but that’s where we lose our footing and land flat on our face…like a misstep in dancing. 

Life isn’t about what we want; it’s about God's direction and what He wants.  Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”  We may want to achieve that "next step” ourselves, but God is the One who will direct us to the next step we need to take.  He has to take the lead in this crazy dance of life.  It might be a little scary to for us to give Him control of it all, but because His ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30), He won’t let us fall flat on our face…He’ll be there every step of the way.  It could be that the next step He takes us to might not make sense at the time it happens.  We need to keep in our hearts that ultimately this confusing next step is only a small part of an even greater next step that God has created for us.  Through trusting in Him, staying in His Word, and talking to Him daily, He will direct us in every single step He wants us to take.

I love the picture below because it's such a perfect illustration to how we should be in this dance of life with our Heavenly Father.  Just hold on to Him, put your feet on His so you don't fall off, and let Him direct you to the next step.  God is our master designer and He already knows how this dance of life ends.  The dance may be complex and challenging, but ultimately it will be beautiful because we let Him take the lead.