In spite of the Depression, or maybe because of it, folks were hungry for a good time, and an evening of dancing seemed a good way to have it. —Lawrence Welk
I marched our church right into 2007. Then we got caught in a crossfire of our own making, as our congregation faced its inner turmoil. Our church stopped growing numerically and spiritually as the body struggled to get along. There was a disagreement amongst the leaders on how the disciple-making march should be executed.
I was preaching scared in those days, worried about what certain people would think. As a result, my preaching lacked passion and power. I told Libby, my wife, three times during that season that I was resigning. But I didn’t…
In retrospect, I’m absolutely convinced that God was right in the middle of that mess, and here’s why: He was using our pain to get us to stop marching and start dancing.
Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing… (Psalm 150:1-4)
In order for our church to start dancing, our leaders needed to start dancing. In order for our leaders to start dancing, I needed to start dancing. And that was the problem: nobody was dancing because I was a marcher, and I was good at it.
God will make us dancers one way or another, and if He has to use pain, He’s okay with that.
Whether it’s enduring a bad marriage, getting cut from the team, getting rejected by your dream college, getting a call from your oncologist, or clicking on that website one more time, God is using pain to invite us into the dance.
Father, by faith I accept the pain in my life as Your invitation to enter into the dance for which I have been created. Show me how the rules and regulations I’ve allowed myself to be placed under have hurt me and those around me. Lead me in the better way. Amen.