Come and Dance With Me

There are very few things that tug at my heart strings more than watching a bride and groom dance their first dance together.  It's just so beautiful, you know?  It helps that there's always some cheesy, romantic song playing, of course.  But everyone's standing there watching and they are so oblivious to the whole world - just wrapped up in each other, focused entirely on each other.  I always feel like an intruder, witnessing those little moments as they dance slowly together in the centre of the dance floor - those silent little "I love you's", the little kisses on the nose, her arms up around his neck... honestly, how can you not melt?

My heart always swells with joy and hope as I witness the solidarity of two lovers dancing together, caught quietly in this intimate moment on this day that marks the beginning of their future together as husband and wife.  That part of my heart that says "I want that one day" awakens.

I was driving with Alicia today and she was sharing some of her experiences on DTS and we were talking about dancing with Jesus and I began to draw parallels between life and that first dance...

I began to wonder...What would it be like to simply stop worrying what everyone thought and just danced with my Lover as if no one was watching?  How might my heart flourish with hope and joy if I were constantly fully engaged in every intimate moment with Him, focused on His soft words in my ear alone, on His gentle kisses?  How might I quietly and sincerely show the world what it really looks like to be in love with Jesus if I simply threw myself wholeheartedly into the Dance?  How might others find themselves longing for that same love and joy and peace found only when you are held in the arms of Christ, as they witness my dance with Him?

I spend so much time frustrated on how I am meant to fulfill my calling as a Christian and as a woman of God.  I feel so often there are so many expectations, so many things to live up to (albeit, most of them self-imposed).  I so long to be like Christ.  And yet, the world around is spinning so crazily and I get so caught up in it.

And yet, when it all comes down to it, it's really just about that one dance - moving responsively in time with Jesus, trustingly allowing Him to lead me however He desires, blocking out everything else around that distracts and focusing my eyes simply on the one who longs to whisper in my ear.  How often do I put myself in the arms of Christ and then promptly spend all my time straining inside His arms - striving to see around Him, striving to keep track of what everyone around me is doing, striving to sing along to the music, striving to keep track of the "schedule" and what happens next (or what should have already happened by now), striving to see if I measure up to others, striving to see if I am better dressed than the others, striving to just figure out how to get closer to God.

And suddenly I realize, while I play my mindless games, as I stiffen and strain inside His arms to focus on everything but Him, Jesus' heart is breaking.  "Just be here.  Just dance with me!  Listen to my voice.  I'm here and I'm holding you and all I want is for you to be engaged with me in this moment!  Stop stressing about what just happened or what happens next, just be here and enjoy this beautiful, intimate moment!  Don't worry about the crowd.  Don't concern yourself with the others.  Just relax and rest in my arms.  Let me lead you.  Just look me in the face and see in my eyes how much I desperately love you!  Calm down, just come and dance with me."

And it is in this moment that I realize that this is what life with Jesus looks like - slow dancing in the centre of a crowd.  I realize that my life is a better testament to Love Come Down when I stop trying to tell people about God and simply just centre my attention fully on Him.

I am so sick of being distracted by everything else; so tired of trying to live up to everyone else's expectations; so exhausted from striving.  Just let me dance with Jesus.

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For ages, one of my favourite worship songs has been Dance With Me by Robbie Seay Band (one of my all-time favourite worship artists).  It's pretty much impossible to find this song online and even the lyrics are MIA, so I had to type them out for you.  But if you can, try and find a copy (or go buy RSB's CD, cause it's AWESOME!) :)

Here are the lyrics:

I've nothing left to do
Nothing left to sing
When it all comes down
It's You and me

The riches of the world
The pleasures of the land
They don't fill the emptiness
And the loneliness

So come and dance with me
Come and dance with me
Let's be all the things that we hoped we'd be
We will run
Together we will run
And do all the things that we should have done
Come and dance with me

Maybe there are times
When I'll chase the wind
You let me go there and
Bring me back again
I return
Home where I belong
Together now we can live in the sun

Come and dance with me
Come and dance with me
Let's be all the things that we hoped we'd be
We will run
Together we will run
And do all the things that we should have done
Come and dance with me