Dance for Joy

One of the twins loves to dance. He 'dances' at every opportunity. If characters on one of his television shows dances, he announces "I dance." If he likes the music playing during a commercial, he declares, "I dance." Sometimes, he dances just because he feels like dancing! On more than one occasion he and sister, and subsequently the other twin decide they're going to "dance" just for something to do!

Of course, at two years, the 'dancing twin' actually gallops and gallops around and around in a circle until he's dizzy. The other brother isn't as coordinated as even that and simply runs behind his brother in the circle. When all three of them get going it really is something to see! Let me put it this way: these children are more likely to appear on Battle of the Brains than Dancing with the Stars!

There is one thing, though, that stands out in their dancing. It is the sheer joy and abandon with which they move. Bright-eyed, faces aglow, around and around they go until they are breathless and ultimately collapse in a heap. It is a sheer joy to watch them.

At 4 and 2 (and 2) life is still full of joy and laughter, moving for the sheer delight of it, experiencing music in its most basic form - as a language that speaks to the soul.

Every time the dancing twin announces he's going to dance, I think about how my life would be so different if I were to dance the dance of my life with that same "reckless abandon." I realize, too how my sheer joy at living would impact the others in my life and in my world. They would surely respond to me as I do to the little dancing children who teach me so much about life.

Then Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; in theLORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. (1 Samuel 2:1-3 NIV)

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, (Luke 1:47 NIV)