572: Dance!

The other day a song came on the readio and it brought back vivid memories for me.  This song showed up and it helped me through a tough time.  It was great to listen the other day and think of how far I’ve come in the eleven years since I first heard it.

DANCE

It was January, 2001 and I had just gone through a job transition from which  I was hurt, angry and wounded. Little did I know that, as bad as it was then, it would get worse as the year went on.  At any rate, a friend gave me a CD of music by Lee Ann Womack and thought it would help me to listen.  I took it with me when I went to speak at a church in Florida and put it in the car as I was driving around.  That’s when I first heard the song, I Hope You Dance.  That song didn’t just help me, it saved my life!  I played it over and over again that weekend and for months after that, hanging on each word as I felt like Lee Ann was singing directly to me in my situation. 

Maybe you already know this song. This week I thought I would give you the words, or you can watch a video of the song here.

    I hope you never lose your sense of wonder 

    You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
    May you never take one single breath for granted 

    God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
    I hope you still feel small when you stand by the ocean 

    Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
    Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance 


    And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance, I hope you dance 


    I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance 

    Never settle for the path of least resistance 

    Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking
    Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making 

    Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter 

    When you come close to selling out, reconsider
    Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
    And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance

A SURVIVOR

When you think about it, you’re already a survivor even if you are young.  Reflect on what you’ve been through and survived to read this Memo today.  Why is that important?  If you’ve survived before, you’ll survive again, even through the pain that you may encounter today.  You can do it by God’s grace because you’ve already done it.  You may not have had a song to get you through it, but you got through nonetheless.  So why not make a list right now of the recoveries you’ve made in your life up to this point?  Write them down and study them and then take courage from the fact that you have survived. 

You’ve made it this far in spite of those things you listed. In fact, looking at that list will help you realize the truth that one godless philosopher spoke, “That which does not kill me can only make me stronger.”  Read the word to the song again and ask yourself if it’s time to start dancing again.  I hope you will come to the conclusion that it is.  Have a great week!

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LATEST UPDATE FROM KENYA:  Check out the latest update from Kenya and the Upako Centre here. Then get ready for the announcement of the major fundraiser to prepare for my trip next February in the next week or two. Plus, I am shipping over a large container of resources in December, so if you have shoes, children's books, games, wholesome adult fiction, Bibles, leadership books or commentaries that you would like to contribute, let me know and I will get the shipping address to you.  If you live in Pittsburgh, you can simply let me know and you can drop them off or I can pick them up.