I recently watched “Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys.”
The movie is about two women from different walks of life who remain friends even though greed and scandal is tearing their families apart.
At one point while the drama is escalating, the women decide to travel like “Thelma and Louise” (or “Oprah and Gayle” as they say in the movie). They hop in a classic Cadillac and head west. And during the trip, they hear a song on the radio. It’s a song with a message that plays a crucial role in the remainder of the film. It’s called “I Hope You Dance.”
As I listened to the words, I started to think about the importance of dancing. Not the dancing that you do on evenings out with friends, at weddings…or even in the living room with your spouse. Dancing in life.
But what does that really mean?
No doubt life has its ups and downs. And there’s a decision to make at every turn. But it’s all about how we maneuver ourselves through the “stuff” we have to deal with each day.
The dictionary defines dancing as moving or seeming to move up and down or about in a quick or lively manner.
After reading that…the light bulb turned on in my head. I figured it out.
The keywords are quick and lively.
In life, we move in a quick or lively manner when remain optimistic as we learn from mistakes and gain understanding from our experiences. We have to let go of the hurt, anger, bitterness, and fear that latches onto us when we are down….and hold onto joy and faith. Our joy and faith can carry us through everything. They can lift us out of the valleys in our lives or carry us to the mountaintops. And it all keeps us light on our feet. In other words…dancing.
If you ever watch a good dancer, they seem to have a connection with the music. The beat guides them, and there are no worries about how they look or the next step. They don’t have any other cares in the world.
We have to be like that. We have to dance. And we have to let God be our DJ.
Because when we do…we can leave our worries behind, we can truly engage, and we can take risks.
So do you dance? I hope you do.
