LEARNING TO DANCE
I believe that submitting to God is a bit like learning to dance.
If you've ever watched 'Strictly Come Dancing' you will have seen various celebrities being taught to dance by their professional partners with varying degrees of success. For the purposes of my illustration imagine that Jesus is the male professional and that you are the female learner. Men reading this may need a good imagination.
When the dancers first meet, the one wearing the 'L' plates knows virtually nothing compared to their partner whose whole life is dance orientated. As the man reaches out to take the girl in his arms to begin the first lesson she can react in one of four ways:
· She can become stiff and rigid; unmovable and refusing point blank to learn anything.
· She can become totally limp with fear in his arms; lacking confidence and unable to move a step she is completely useless.
· She can try to be the dominant partner; wanting only to take control; thinking she already knows all the moves and wanting to show off.
· Or she can trust her partner; co-operate and yield; being ready and willing to learn the steps and to follow her partner's lead.
Although she may be willing to learn, at first she will almost certainly be clumsy and make many mistakes; she may often stumble and make wrong moves or get her timing wrong. As the lesson progresses though, and with lots of practice, she becomes more confident till eventually her movements are fluid and she is floating around the floor in a flowing, graceful dance; at one with her partner and radiating beauty.
I definitely want to learn to 'dance' and follow Jesus' lead but I've still quite a way to go until I'm in perfect harmony with him - so let the lessons continue and let me be a good learner.
These thoughts inspired a poem, which I have put on another page, called My Lord of the Dance.
I believe that submitting to God is a bit like learning to dance.
If you've ever watched 'Strictly Come Dancing' you will have seen various celebrities being taught to dance by their professional partners with varying degrees of success. For the purposes of my illustration imagine that Jesus is the male professional and that you are the female learner. Men reading this may need a good imagination.
When the dancers first meet, the one wearing the 'L' plates knows virtually nothing compared to their partner whose whole life is dance orientated. As the man reaches out to take the girl in his arms to begin the first lesson she can react in one of four ways:
· She can become stiff and rigid; unmovable and refusing point blank to learn anything.
· She can become totally limp with fear in his arms; lacking confidence and unable to move a step she is completely useless.
· She can try to be the dominant partner; wanting only to take control; thinking she already knows all the moves and wanting to show off.
· Or she can trust her partner; co-operate and yield; being ready and willing to learn the steps and to follow her partner's lead.
Although she may be willing to learn, at first she will almost certainly be clumsy and make many mistakes; she may often stumble and make wrong moves or get her timing wrong. As the lesson progresses though, and with lots of practice, she becomes more confident till eventually her movements are fluid and she is floating around the floor in a flowing, graceful dance; at one with her partner and radiating beauty.
I definitely want to learn to 'dance' and follow Jesus' lead but I've still quite a way to go until I'm in perfect harmony with him - so let the lessons continue and let me be a good learner.
These thoughts inspired a poem, which I have put on another page, called My Lord of the Dance.
