I remember the poem/story called “Footprints”.  I read somewhere that there was another part of that poem, and that the person asked Jesus as he looked down at the sand, “so what do those footprints mean?  I see a lot of them, and they are everywhere.”  Jesus said, “that’s when we danced.”  I love that!!   The picture in my mind is of a bride and groom dancing, where the groom is leading his bride with an ever so slight nudge, when to turn, to spin, to come together.  They are looking at each intently and lovingly into each other’s eyes, with a joy that everyone around them can’t help but notice. 

This is what the Lord would like to do with each one of us, but most of us are too busy, or insecure with our ‘dancing’ ability to allow him to dance with us.  We come up with a variety of excuses, like “I don’t know how to dance”, “I don’twant to”, “not now”.  And meanwhile, we miss an opportunity to let the God of the Universe lead us into His presence, and allow Him to learn what it means to follow, and to have true joy.  He extends his hand out, to ask us to dance, like the gentlemen that He is, but we say ‘no’ to Him.  I would encourage you to stop saying no, stop letting your insecurities, concerns or circumstances get in the way of following the Lord and allowing him to lead you today. 

Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

In His Grip,

Pete

You may not know this, but I build furniture in our garage. It’s something I started a couple of years ago and have grown to love. But there are days when it is nothing more than frustrating, even infuriating! There are days when I just can’t get anything right. These are the days I have felt as if the wood was fighting against me. It was being stubborn and refusing to become what I was trying to make it. As I said those words out loud in complaint to a dear friend I heard the Holy Spirit saying, “Um…duh. You are the wood.” Oh man!  And it was true. How often am I the wood in this situation? How often do I refuse to listen to the leading of my Jesus and keep trying to do my own thing, my own way? He is trying to take this boring, beat up, rough and splintery piece of me and turn me into something new, something useful, something beautiful.