Someone was sharing with me a few weeks ago about how afraid she was of not following God's plan for her life. "What if I take the wrong job, move to the wrong house, or send the kids to the wrong school? What if I do something wrong that alters God's perfect plan? How can things ever be set right again?" She seemed convinced that there was one God-ordained path for her life, and she was terrified to take a step for fear it might forever lead her down a different road and therefore, out of God's perfect will for her life. I tried to console her, encourage her to just run with her passions in Christ, but it was very hard for her to grasp it all and find peace.
Around that time, I reluctantly bought tickets to a high school friend's dance recital. My daughters wanted to see Amanda perform, and I was happy to support her, but a dance recital -honestly!?
Anyway, when the day eventually arrived, Keen had spent the night with a friend, and Heidi had gone to Worlds-of-Fun. It was just me and Kendra. It seemed like a healthy father-daughter date, but when we got there, Kendra wouldn't sit with me. So there I was, a 35 year-old-man, siting alone, watching young girls dancing -awkward.
I will say, Amanda did incredible! Her confidant smile, unexpected skill and perfect form was astounding.
The next day the experience hit me at a deeper level. That silly little dance recital was like our "walk" with God.
When the little preschoolers filed onto the stage, people giggled and cheered. There was no trouble with the director coming out and helping the little ones with the basics. And everyone was pleased to watch them sit in a row and slowly raise their arms like blooming flowers or trot around in circles like butterflies. The occasional wave to mom just added flavor.
Yet, when the high school dancers came out, there was much more expectation. The dancers not only needed to know where they were to be at every step of the performance, they were also expected to use proper form and technique with each move. The audience didn't mock or criticize when there was a stumble or a miss, but they often cheered when a tough move was made or some unexpected step was beautifully timed.
I think of God's "plan" a lot like that dance recital. God is not just the a spectator, He is the director. There are times when He needs to come out and give specific direction, and there are times when a wave to the crowd might be cute, but mostly, He just wants us to stay focused, smile and dance. Yes, there is a plan, and yes, you will stumble and miss a move here and there, but just keep your mind on the task and move as best you know how.
The picture I prefer is when the crowd is all gone, and you are just dancing for the joy of it and to make your instructor proud. He may stop you occasionally to show you a new move or to improve your style, but then, He steps aside and lets you just do what you love to do. Dance for Him.
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