I’m sharing a piece I wrote for Rebecca Bender Ministries, a ministry which exists to “raise awareness and deliver solutions to the growing epidemic of sex trafficking”. I pray that your heart hasn’t ever been dropped but chances are it has. I pray you can find hope in Jesus. “He was born in an unassuming manger to die on a cross intended for criminals. To fix what had been broken. To save the dance.”
When there’s only an ounce of life left, there’s still life. What is even a little bit alive is not dead. Nothing is pronounced dead until it is actually dead. Until it is actually dead, it is alive.
Have you ever thought about what you would tell your younger self now that you’re not your younger self anymore? What would you tell her to do differently? What would you encourage her to do the same?
I recently had the honor of guest posting on a friends blog, Mrs. Disciple, about what I would tell my 6 year old self, my 16 year old self and myself on my wedding day. It was a challenge to write but it was fun to look back over my life and think about how I wished I would have danced more.
I hope this encourages someone else’s younger self to dance more. To live more. I’ve still got progress to make in this area but last time I checked, my dance card appears to still have some empty lines.
Dancing is like dreaming with your feet. ~Constanz
Dear 6 year old self,
When you twirl around in your new (or new to you) Sunday dress and let your skirt catch so much air that your panties show, stretch out your arms and tilt back your head in reckless abandon and twirl. Smile and laugh and breathe all of that joy right in. One day the world will try to tell you to stop dancing, to stop twirling, but for now, TWIRL! Even though you’re a little shy, go ahead and twirl. Maybe you can’t twirl in front of others, but at least go in your room and close your door and twirl. Have fun! Try hard to block out all of those voices that tell you to act a certain way, to fit in, to use boring colors, to stop dancing. Except maybe at some point wear shorts under your cute little dress because showing your panties will become sort of socially unacceptable at some point.
Love,
Me
P.S. You won’t always wear knee socks with your dresses and have bad haircuts. Promise.
“Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”” ~Matthew 19:14
Read the rest of the post here….
~Andrea
Someone asked me recently what my biggest regret in life is. I have to admit I’ve lived a mostly “goody two shoes” sort of life. No major life issues, no major life mistakes, tried my best to live by the rules and not mess up and have pretty much succeeded in that. Although a mostly no regrets sort of life is a good thing, a REALLY good thing, I’m not bragging so don’t read that into my words – that’s not what this is about.
As I pondered this “biggest regret” question, I had to do some thinking. Of course I regret not loving more, not investing more, not exercising more, not being healthier, not trying harder, not wearing sunscreen more… those types of things but I knew none of those were my answer. I decided that one of my biggest regrets was not dancing more or really just not dancing. In all of my rule following and legalistic attempts to be perfect, I should have loosened up a bit. I should have danced. I truly think my heart would have been happier and free’er if I’d have danced. Think about it… you really can’t be uptight when you dance and if you are you’re not doing it right. You’re free when you dance. You laugh when you dance. You cry when you dance. You feel when you dance. You connect when you dance. Yep, I think this very well could be my biggest regret.
So…. young ones…
“When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.” ~Mandisa, I Hope You Dance
I Hope You Dance, Mandisa
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed.
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance,
Livin’ might mean takin’ chances but they’re worth takin’,
Lovin’ might be a mistake but it’s worth makin’.
Don’t let some careless heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin’ out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
Dance, dance, dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)
Empty Plate . Full Heart 