Dancing: Life

Today at 9:19 PM

I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't dancing. Since I was 3 years old, I have been in a studio every week, learning and fighting and perfecting. Always reaching toward a higher goal. Trying to be the best dancer I could be.
Except I wasn't. I was trying to be the best dancer the girl next to me could be.

As dancers, we live a life of extreme comparison. We are taught to look the same, dress the same, and behave the same in class, in order to become our best selves. For years upon years, we stare into the studio mirror, in our next-to-nothing leotards, wondering why our feet don't point like the girl's next to ours, or wishing our turns looked as effortless as the older girls'. But the reality is, we don't see all of the behind the scenes effort that each and every girl puts in to get better. We don't see the hours upon hours of blood, sweat, and tears (literally) that each and every one of us fights through to become a better dancer. That constant comparison game is not how God meant it to be. That is not the purpose of dancing. That is not the purpose of life. In the book of Psalms, chapter 149, verse 3, David said "Let us praise His Name with dancing. Let us make music to Him with the tambourine and the lyre." Dance is supposed to be a real and raw outlet of praise to the Creator of the universe. He gave us these talents, and we are to use them for His glory. But regardless of all of the hard days, the long hours, the internal criticism, the truth is, none of us dancers would wish any of it away. We are in love with the pain, because we know it only makes us stronger.

I think dancing is an exceptional parallel to life. We spend too much time comparing our "behind the scenes" to everyone else's "highlight reel",and not enough time appreciating the unique talents given to us by the One who knows us better than even we know ourselves. We need to learn to fall in love with the pain, the hurt, the bad days, and be strengthened by the knowledge that His power is perfected in our weakness. We need to acknowledge that every aspect of our lives is but another outlet to praise our Creator. It is very easy in life to "look into that mirror" and compare our life to another believer's like we would compare two sets of dance steps. God designed each of us with unique talents and abilities that we could never know the full potential of without seeking His wisdom. Ask Him to show you how to see yourself through His eyes. Ask Him to reveal to You the parts of yourself that you didn't even know were there. Deep within your heart, look into the eyes of our Creator, and ask Him to speak life into you.

Life will be hard. There will be rain. There will be storms. There will be pain. Fall in love with it. Fall in love with Him.