Dance

Anyone who thinks that sunshine is pure happiness has never danced in the rain.

- Anonymous

What if you looked into the eyes of your child, smiled and whispered, “It’s

raining outside, come with me...” You proceed softly and joyfully to lead them out

into the rain, the pouring rain. Then you dance.

Then you danced. You danced not because life is easy. And not because you’ve got it altogether. No because you feel amazing or because you’ve accomplished all the

demands of the day.

You dance because you decided to.

It’s merely a choice. It flows from a heart that is set on choosing joy. It can

be rooted in the ongoing worship our amazing God. It's the simple yet

magnificent beauty of a grateful heart.

Blessings fall all around us, like a soft rain. And with every drop we can feel more alive.

If we will only open our eyes and choose to dance.

As the old adage goes, we are all dealing with storms in some way or another.

Sometimes it’s a soft mist coupled with distant thunder, and other times the

storm rages on.

Whose leading you through the showers storms of life?

Are you moving in step with the storm-maker, deeply trusting Him, and looking for the blessings inside?

And is your faith big enough to toss out that heavy umbrella, so that you can embrace

God’s love, and feel the rain?

A New Move

A couple of years ago I injured my leg. It was a foolish fall, and I learned what a bone

bruise was (if you’ve never had one, I encourage you to pass).

It was the kind of injury that I needed to stay home and rest.

But a couple of days after the incident, I had a cousin getting married. No

need to miss a good wedding.

Rich with the shades of October and the backdrop of the mountains, the

ceremony was beautiful. The reception followed, offering its own rustic flavor of

fun. As the DJ played, I sat at a table centered with the dance floor, watching, itching to dance. I was just looking for a reason to get up, when my Mom

said, “Come on, get out here, you’ll be alright.”

I had a little fun with the freestyle, then we all glided along singing, “Heyyy

Marcarena!” Then we eased on into the Cha-Cha slide. After that, I knew I

should probably find a seat. But then I heard a new song...it came with a new

move...

Everyone stayed put, wiggled and waited for the next line dance, and so

did I. There was no way that I was leaving the dance floor without first seeing

what that was about.

Sometimes you just need a new move. It’s true on the dance floor and it’s also

true in life. That includes our relationships and marriages.

Some couples are perfectly content doing the same thing day in and day out. But research reveals that comfort, combined with a bit of novelty, freshness, or new move (so to speak), keeps relationships awake and thriving. At our last moms' meeting, one of our sweet moms

requested that I go a little further into discussing what that looks like.

"Love is a game that two can play and both win." - Eva Gabor

So, have you heard the pop culture phrase “power couple”? According to a little

online research, a power couple is a couple (married or in a relationship) that are

both influential and successful. They support and complement each other’s

strengths. But they also work lovingly together toward a common goal.

They inspire each other, and those around them, while maintaining a strong

relationship.

For example, Princess Kate and Prince William fall into the modern-day example

of this. In addition to their joint causes and charities, they also support each

other with their individual missions. Prince William has supported Kate when

she has taken on projects related to a child’s early years, while Kate has done the

same for her husband with the Earthshot Prize.

But it’s not all business. They also make room for fun... They have family football

matches, they go scuba diving and yacht racing together, understanding the value

of play.

I'm guessing yacht racing is out for you and me this afternoon.

But as Christians, we belong to Royal family of much greater worth. So now let’s explore an example of a biblical power couple.

Are you familiar with Priscilla and Aquilla in the Bible? They were a first century

Christian missionary couple in the New Testament. There’s not a lot of

information regarding the details of their marriage, yet they seem to have had a

wonderful relationship. I think what emphasizes that the most is that they are

mentioned six times, in four different books of the New Testament, and never will

you see one of them mentioned without the other. It’s always Priscilla and

Aquila.

The two of them likely understood, and then applied Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,

which says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for

their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”

During that period, every young Jewish boy was taught a trade. Aquila’s parents

taught him the practical trade of tentmaking – everyone needed a tent to live in.

Keep in mind, these are far from today’s pop-up tents, they took great skill to cut

and sew properly. Once married, Aquila taught his wife these same tentmaking

skills and then they worked together.

Priscilla watched her husband. She learned from him, and he led her. In doing

so, one can’t help but think that she loved him and respected him, and his work.

Priscilla followed her husband, trusting him. I think it’s safe to assume that her

desire was to always help him, and never to hurt him. She likely did so in her

work, her ways, and her words. From everyday menial tasks to the bigger life changing

decisions, Aquila led her. And Priscilla followed him, with the voluntary, joyful

submission. And so together they thrived.

God, in his infinite wisdom said in Genesis 2:18, ‘It is not good for the man to be

alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ The weight of this verse carries

much more honor than clean socks and a warm meal.

Much literature abounds regarding the concept of “suitable helper” (or as it’s

often referred to, “helpmeet”). Whether your marriage is fresh, fun and new. Or perhaps a bit stale. Or somewhere in the middle, I encourage you to go deeper in your

learning and application.

In today’s terms suitable helper sounds very old-fashioned, but in reality, this is a

heavily loaded clause. I don’t have the theological background or understanding

to fully express the depth or importance of your role as a wife. But trust me, you

are not subordinate, but absolutely necessary to your husband's mental, emotional and physical needs. You're the one he chose. You are his wife, and hopefully 'suitable helper'. This title is an honor. It’s meaningful and significant.

The backstory of “suitable helper”

• Suitable is from the Hebrew word, “neged” (neh'-ghed), which means, “ in

front of, in sight of, opposite to”.

We are equal but opposite, calm and confident. We are called to be his

strength, and loyal companion, always seeking to be there where there is

lack.

• Helper, (mentioned 66 times in scripture), comes from another Hebrew

word, Ezer. It’s very powerful. Scholar, R. David Freeman, observes that it

is a combination of two words, one meaning “to rescue,” “to save,” the

other meaning “to be strong.”

Ezer appears in the Old Testament and is often paralleled with words

denoting strength or power. Help or helper in scripture is frequently

associated with God (as our helper, one of many examples is Psalm 46:1 -

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble).

And the Holy Spirit as a helper (John 14:16-17, And I will ask the Father,

and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever

— the Spirit of truth). Those two verses alone should affirm the amazing

influence, honor and power within the word helper.

And when it’s phrased like that, who doesn’t want to be a suitable helper? But to

rightly play this role, we should honor our husbands, and care for them in our

own sweet and feminine, but godly way.

Out of love and reverence, we should trust and respect them as they lead. He should know without a doubt, that he is accepted, loved and appreciated (granted, this all comes easier when you are equally yoked, when honor is mutual, and you have a history of him playing his role as a godly husband). Either way, we are still called to pray faithfully when there is lack.

And whether it’s mission trips, jet skiing, or simply trying a new restaurant, it’s

perfectly healthy to want to add a little excitement and adventure to your

marriage. But don’t allow the moving target of pleasure and novelty to become

the pinnacle of your desires. True closeness comes from honesty, trust and good

communication.

You should strive to be grateful and content, to put God first, and then seek to be

a suitable helper. It’s then you are better equipped to cultivate an atmosphere of

sincerity and kindness. And it’s then that you can rightly listen to his needs

(spoken and unspoken). Pray for him...let him know that you’re always cheering

for him, and that you believe in him. And together as you submit to the dance of

life, let him lead, as you then watch the and between the two of you grow

stronger, as together you learn to dance in the sunshine, but perhaps even more importantly...to dance in the rain.

The Sweetest Dance

If you ask God to help you grow, don’t be surprised when it starts raining.

-Unknown

Our walks with Christ and our character are watered by the rains of life. And if we

are to embrace the rain and grow, we must remember that Jesus could do

nothing without the Father, and neither can we. For God truly is the master

choreographer. He’s there to guide us when we need to take a bold step forward,

or perhaps a necessary step back, or most often to fall into his arms, trust and

wait. This growing faith will allow us to also grow in our intimacy with Jesus.

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own

poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Acts 17:28

We’re not going to melt, or rust in the rain. So let’s move with him, tossing the umbrella, along with our burdens, striving to follow Him step-by-step.

It’s then that we can press on, praising as we dance, trusting more with every

twirl, feeling every drop of rain. And as we fall into the arms of the one that loves

us the most, we can confidently let the rest of world spin past, as we discover the

sweetest dance ever.

3 Scripture Verses, 2 Quotes

and 1 Question to Consider

3 Scriptures:

Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on

new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. Deuteronomy 32:2

Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond

to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.

Hosea 6: 3 NLT

I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down

showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

2 Quotes:

“Your most profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely be in your

darkest days – when your heart is broken, when you feel abandoned, when you’re

out of options, when the pain is great – and you turn to God alone.”

- Rick Warren

“Sometimes you just need to feel the rain. Let it beat upon your face, cleanse

your soul, and free your spirit.” - Unknown

1 Question:

We have a firm foundation with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior - so

faithfully, joyfully, shall we dance in the rain?