The Sweetest Dance

It was advertised as "The Sweetest Dance."

Seeing how Valentine's Day is right around the corner, this seemed like an appropriate name for the Irving Elementary School's dance, party and games night held last night.

My wife Julie was stationed in her normal locale, the concessions stand. Greeting each parent, grandparent and each child with her ear to ear smile and warm eyes she sold Happy Joe's pizza by the slice, Mountain Dew (great choice for an elementary school dance!!) and Taffy for two hours straight.

Joshua was to meet a certain classmate of the female persuasion at a secret location within the gym walls. How secret could it be in a big rectangular box?

Faith was all dressed up in her dress, tights, ballet type shoes and hair pulled back in what she simply calls "a pony."

The "Dance" consisted of kids running around playing tag. Moms, dads, grandparents sat in the bleachers trying to keep an eye on their child in a sea of children running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Parents socialized, laughed and some sat by themselves with that catatonic stare that comes at the end of a long week of work, worries and whatever else may be ailing them.

The DJ was excellent at involving the kids and parents in games and dancing. When he played, "Call Me Maybe and "Gangnam Style" the kids went crazy and seemed to know all the dance moves and words associated with each song. I didn't know some of our young people were so well versed in Korean!

And then the dance came to an end and the gym was cleaned up and cleared out in no time...

My iWitness...

When was the last time you danced?
When was the last time you were able to freely express yourself with reckless abandonment and move to the music without fear and/or embarrassment?
When was the last time you heard the music?
What keeps you from dancing?
What would happen if you decided to dance before the Lord?

The Psalmist proclaims, "Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! (Psalm 150. 4)

At the end of the party last night a slow song came on and I seized the opportunity to "dance" before the Lord with a certain person of the female persuasion - my daughter Faith.

We walked out on the dance floor, hand in hand. I swung her around, lifting her high in the air with my right arm under her legs.

Her right hand extended out and her fingers intertwined with my fingers on my left hand and we swayed back and forth to the music twirling around with the wind blowing through her "pony." It was as if no one else was in the gym. The music slowed until it faded out. We stopped and she leaned her head back and I leaned my head back and we looked at each other and I said, "I love you Faith." With that she leaned forward and gave me a kiss... I set her down and she ran off...

It certainly lived up to its billing.

It was indeed The Sweetest Dance.

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!