Dancing in the Moonlight
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing, psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16 (ESV)
Thanks to Gabby and Carrots (our two cats) I was wide awake at 3:40AM today! I am a morning person but that was a little rough. I headed downstairs to give them what they wanted: food. My morning had begun.
Holding my steaming cup of coffee, I stood by my writing desk, peering at the moonlit scene. The full moon on the snow lightened everything and I watched three does walk across the field. Of course, they stopped here at the birdfeeders for a snack, but something had already beaten them to it. I could see them, but they did not see me. I hadn’t turned any lights on yet.
Our harsh winters are tough on all God’s creatures—us included. It is bitter cold and seems to snow some every day. However, if we can sing and dance in the rain, why can’t we learn to get comfortable with dancing in the moonlight? We can safely sing in the shadows and the elements don’t feel hostile when we dance with the joy of the Lord. What a great idea!
When we were kids, we could sing, dance, and giggle our worries away. What happened to those days? Somewhere along the way, we lost that childhood innocence. Our worry-wart tendencies seemed to grow deep roots and push aside our juvenile thoughts. Anxieties took over way too soon and we were forced to grow up.
Most of us have never danced in the rain or in the moonlight. Why? Well, what would the neighbors think? What if someone saw us? What if we got wet, or cold or caught a cold? What if we can’t dance anymore?
Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on therapy, maybe skipping a week and doing some singing, dancing, and giggling just might lighten your heavy weight of problems we were never meant to carry in the first place.
Oh! No one wants to go out with you? So what, go it alone! We already know that He sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17) and I am convinced that He would likely join in an unforgettable duet. Just by holding His hand, the load would become lighter. Who knows, we might even learn a few new dance steps.
Loving Lord, please fill us with a child-like, joyful desire to express our love and gratitude to You. AMEN.
***Nancy Tillman is my absolute favorite author and illustrator of children’s books. This pic is from the cover of Wherever You Are—my love will find you.