Dance Like Nobody's Watching

This is my first blog post in quite a while. When you get out of the habit of writing it is difficult to get going again. I guess that is true with most things.

The past few decades gave us a couple of songs that came to mind this morning. As I drove home yesterday I noticed in my rearview mirror the young lady in the car behind me. She was singing with whatever music was playing in her car. I love music. I love to sing. It always seems to dampen the enthusiasm when we realize someone is watching.

Lee Ann Womack had a hit back in 2000 called “I Hope You Dance”. It starts out:

            I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

            You get your fill to eat, but always keep your hunger

            May you never take one single breath for granted

            God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

The hook of the song comes with this line: And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance … I hope you dance, I hope you dance!!

Apparently the young lady behind me yesterday had heard the song “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching.” The lyrics of the song have unclear origin and attributed to many. That doesn’t diminish their impact. It goes something like this:

            Dance like nobody’s watching

            Love like you’ve never been hurt

            Sing like nobody’s listening

            Live like it’s heaven on earth

Children do this all the time. I believe that’s one of the things Jesus implied when He said, “Anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Little children are curious. They trust completely. They love fully. They play with nothing held back. Oh, if we could only find that place again. I do not believe these are the “childish things” that Paul intended to be “put away” when we mature in Christ.

The prime example of this is given in the story of the woman of Bethany that came to the home of Simon the Leper while Jesus was there. She was described as a “sinful woman.” Footnote here: We all are sinful! She was not an invited guest but she had an unquenchable desire to see Jesus. She brought with her a box, or bottle, of expensive perfume. When she saw Jesus, she broke the container open and poured the fragrance on Him. This was her worship!

She did not care that she was a “sinner”, or uninvited. She only knew one thing: if she could get to Jesus she would bless Him the best way she knew how. She gave the most precious thing she had. For her, this was “living like it’s heaven on earth.” I don’t know if she knew that it literally was heaven come to earth, but she was drawn to Jesus because He embodied everything that she desired: unqualified love, complete forgiveness, and total acceptance.

That’s really what all of us want, but we know others are watching or listening. We have been hurt. Until we can find a way to let God heal the hurt we will never find the freedom to worship Him with abandon. Oh, how I wish we could.