At the end of a ballet performance, after the curtain went down and the audience began to disperse from the theater, the hugs began. All of us dancers would hug, cheer, and squeal with delight. We had done it. The work had been worth it. “Congratulations!” “You danced beautifully!” It didn’t matter that we were sweaty. It didn’t matter that our feet were throbbing. We celebrated with one another before beginning the process of unwinding and leaving the theater to get a good night’s sleep and gear up to do it all over again the next day.
But before we left the stage, typically our ballet mistress or artistic director would gather us around for some notes. We pulled our comfy booties over our pointe shoes, threw on sweatshirts and leg warmers, circled up, and sat down. Oh, sitting down. It was the best gift after a long evening of dancing. As we gathered around, the ballet mistress or artistic director always first offered a short congratulatory comment on the show. But soon after, it was back to our notes for the evening. They knew that tomorrow a new audience would step foot into the theater, ready for a beautiful performance, and then the curtain would go up and the dancing would begin again. So as much as our feet hurt and as exhausted as we were, we knew listening to notes would make tomorrow’s performance run smoother. The notes were like little reminders, sticky notes on our dancing. They reminded us that while performing was oh-so-fun, we had to continually remember some important things to bring a beautiful performance to the audience. The ballet mistress or artistic director would notice things in the performance that were a little off or needed improvement, and this was their time to nudge us oh-so-gently toward a stronger performance.
This happened in the studio on rehearsal days as well. After a run-through of a piece, we would gather around, ready for our notes and corrections. The notes were always very specific. Often dancers were called out individually. “Hey, Sarah, make sure you watch the shape of your foot in that arabesque next time.” We took in the notes, knowing that our director or ballet mistress had our best in mind. Some notes were short and simple. Others required more explanation.
A dancer has a million things to remember when she is dancing. Getting her limbs and feet and arms and hands and head in the right position on the right beat of the music takes notes, corrections, repetition, and tons of rehearsal. I sometimes used to cringe when I got a note because it wasn’t fun to be called out in front of the whole company. But as I began to understand that my directors were trying to help me, I grew to love corrections and notes. They kept me motivated and helped me be more confident onstage when I applied them.
So on that note, I thought it would be fun to wrap up this ballet of words by sending some final notes of encouragement your way. I have loved every minute of journeying with you. Let’s pause and celebrate for a moment that we have discovered the sweetest dance of dreaming with God. Hugs! I wish I could hug you in person. Before you go, before you run off and begin your dance, here are some final notes.
I’ve taken the corrections I most often received as a ballerina and turned them into little sticky notes for your heart as you step into your dreaming journey with God. Some of these may repeat things I wrote in previous chapters, but I think they are worth repeating. As a dancer, often the notes that were repeated the most grabbed my attention the most and helped me improve. Maybe this chapter can be a reference for you in the future when you have hit a rough patch in your sweetest dance. A quick guide of things to remember as you dream with God.
So let’s pretend we’re on the stage after a show. You’ve slipped your booties over your pointe shoes, thrown on a comfy sweatshirt and some leg warmers (I sense some of you have the giggles right now), and we’ve circled up. I’ve got my notepad and my pencil. Now you rest your feet, rest your heart, rest your dreaming thoughts for a bit. Sit back. Just take in some notes of encouragement, some final thoughts for your dreaming, dancing journey that I don’t want you to forget.
Stand tall.
“Listen, stay alert, stand tall in the faith, be courageous, and be strong.”
1 Corinthians 16:13 (The Voice)
May we remember all the reasons that we, as God’s daughters, can stand taller in our daily dances and dreaming journeys. It’s so much easier to believe the world’s messages to our hearts: not good enough, not pretty enough, not successful enough, not smart enough, not . . . whatever is . . . enough. But Christ invites us to stand taller in our hearts as we soak in the sweet truth that He is enough and that because of Him, we are enough. We can let go of trying to be enough and instead embrace His blessings of righteousness and love and His saving grace. Something happens when we stand a little taller in light of the truths we know about how our Savior sees us—our hearts dance and we reflect His light to a hurting world. Stand a little taller today in your heart as you soak in the jewels of being a chosen, adopted, and loved daughter of the King.
Deepen your plié.
“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”
Ephesians 3:17–18
For a ballet dancer, plié is probably the most important movement. Plié is simply bending the knees. It can be from two feet or from one foot. Plié is like a springboard for a dancer. The deeper the plié, the bigger a dancer can jump. The deeper the plié, the more grounded, sturdy, and steady a dancer becomes. The deeper the plié, the more control a dancer has over her limbs. Dreaming with God and dancing daily with Him through life requires a lot out of us. We are busy gals. We juggle a lot of stuff. May we remember that the key to living well is actually going deeper with Christ. You see, without that deepening in our relationship with Jesus, we become spiritually dry, physically fatigued, frazzled, worn-out, and burnt-out. Without a deep walk with Jesus, we can get so busy doing and accomplishing that our souls simply grow depleted. May we make our most precious goal to go deeper with our Savior.
Dance big.
“Let them praise his name with dancing.”
Psalm 149:3
One correction that a dancer may receive quite often over the course of her dancing career is this one: “dance big!” Or oftentimes: “dance bigger!” It can feel frustrating at times to hear that same correction over and over because there is a lot to think about—dancing precisely in step with the music, keeping lines in check, ensuring the movement is just right, and making sure the head, arms, shoulders, feet, everything are at the correct angles. A dancer is called to dance big, but often she can get so caught up in seeking perfection in her technique that she dances small.
Dancing big requires letting go—letting go of fear, insecurity, and the quest for perfection. Dancing big is this place we get to as dancers where we are so free and so enjoying the moment that big dancing spills out. The bigger we dance, the greater the dancing is. Dancing big doesn’t mean we forget our quest for correct technique, but it does mean we’ve got to let go of some of our perfectionistic tendencies.
In this dance of life, what if we let go of our fears? What if we let go of our insecurities? What if we let go of our quests for perfection? What if we let go of worrying about who’s watching or who’s not watching?
How can you dance big in your life? How can you let go of whatever is weighing you down and instead praise and trust God in a big way? What if you lived your life full-out by fully trusting in the Savior of the world? Dance big through life!
Hold your core.
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23
If a dancer lets go of her stomach muscles, she loses strength. It’s so hard to hold in the abdominal muscles, to “lace them up” kind of like shoelaces through the ribs and abs area. But it’s the key to strength. It’s the key to beautiful lines. A dancer works day in and day out at maintaining strong abdominal muscles because a strong core gives her strength for her entire body as well as protection from injuries, specifically to her back. When a dancer’s core goes loose, her body loses its energy and strength, and her dancing loses its edge. Holding the core is vital to a dancer’s dancing.
In our dance of life, we can easily lose sight of Christ. We can grow burdened with our to-do lists, our doing, and our planning. And we can become bogged down with discouragement as we listen to the news or scroll through our newsfeeds. We can so easily forget to hold on to our hope.
May we dance through life differently and hold unswervingly to the faith we profess, for He who promised is faithful. We can anchor our hope in Christ. We can have the hope of Christ in our hearts every day of the year. May we remember that the most important thing we can do each day is “hold our core,” or in this instance, hold on to our hope.
Daughter, where in your life do you need to hold onto your hope? Christ is your hope. He is your eternal salvation. He is your constant companion. He is your counselor. He is your never-ending hope, always. May your heart keep tuned in to Christ, holding on to Him as your perfect hope. He is your strong center. He is your strength. He is your anchor. And here’s the sweet thing: He never lets go of you. He is always with you. He is always holding your hand. Hold on to Him by letting your heart fully embrace His presence in your life. Let the Savior be your core. Your center. Your everything.
Don’t look down.
“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.”
Proverbs 4:25
The problem with a dancer looking down at her feet while working at the ballet barre is this: looking down takes the whole body out of correct alignment. As she looks down, her shoulders subtly scoot one way, which results in her upper body twisting out of place slightly, which then results in the waist sinking into one hip, causing the hip to become off-center and preventing the leg from working properly from the hip socket. That twistedness then puts extra pressure on the knees and ankles. Looking down, while it feels good and comfortable for the mind, wreaks havoc on the body.
For a dancer to keep her eyes, head, and chin up and resist the temptation to check the mirror over and over takes incredible discipline. But when she sinks into that discipline, her muscles and whole body are freed up to work properly.
In the dance of life, we “look down” in many ways that twist our spiritual growth so much that we lose our footing, fail to grow, and miss out on a deeper walk with the Lord.
Looking down can be kind of an inward withdrawal from truly engaging in life because we feel not good enough, not adequate enough, or not popular enough, so we keep our focus on our own feet; we stay comfortable in our own little bubble, not wanting to cause too much of a ruckus. We stay inward, wanting to be strong and confident and a powerful vessel for the Lord, but our insecurities or fears or whatever else holds us back. Meanwhile, our looking down actually distorts how God might want to use us. We have trouble believing He has plans for us.
Maybe for you looking down is looking to the past. You may feel like your past makes you unworthy of a good future. Or maybe you, like me, look too far into your future, wondering how it all will work out. You get so focused on looking ahead that you miss out on what’s happening right now.
I love this little gem from Proverbs 4:25: “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” What wisdom!
May we remember we have a Savior we can look up to, and we can always hold our gaze on Him. He holds His gaze on us too, all day long. When we keep our gaze on Him, we don’t have to look down anymore. When we keep our gaze on Him, we’re free to dance through life the way He intended—with great peace, joy, and confidence in Him. Don’t look down, dear one.
Stretch your feet.
“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”
Luke 2:10
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
James 4:8
A dancer has to really stretch her feet, as in, point them from the ankle all the way through the tips of the toe in every position. It’s easy to get by with “kind of” engaging the muscles and pointing the feet, but it takes discipline to really stretch the feet. As a spectator at a ballet performance, I want to see really stretched feet pointing all the way. It’s not comfortable for a dancer, but it looks so beautiful and enhances her technique.
This brings me to our dance of life. We can get by with “kind of” tuning in to God’s voice. We can get by with “kind of” giving our lives to Him. But that “kind of” mentality keeps us from really experiencing Christ the way He designed us to. However, dreaming with God allows us to really tune in to our Savior.
I don’t know where you are in your walk with Jesus but know that He’s inviting you to stretch your heart, your faith, and your preconceived ideas about Him by drawing closer to Him and discovering everything He has for you through His Holy Spirit. Christ has more peace for you. Christ has more joy for you. Christ has more freedom for you. Christ has more hope for you. Christ has more power for you. Christ has more grace for you. Will you stretch your heart and take a step toward Him?
Warm up.
“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”
Psalm 143:8
Warming up the body before any type of exercise is important for preventing injuries. I always loved to bundle up in my favorite warm-up pants, a big, comfy sweater, leg warmers, and booties during warm-up class to keep my feet and body warm so that my muscles were ready for the ballet performance. A ballet dancer warms up to get her blood flowing so her muscles can then stretch, allowing her to jump and dance. Warming up properly is a dancer’s foundation to beautiful dancing.
Sweet one, spending time with Jesus warms up our souls, hearts, and minds for the day and for life. Just as a dancer would not jump into her grande allegro without warming up, we too should not jump into our days without warming up our souls with Christ’s love and presence.
During long days in the studio or at the theater, a dancer has to stay warmed up. She follows a constant cycle . . . put on warm-ups, warm up, rehearse or perform, rest a bit, put warm-ups back on, keep moving the body so it doesn’t get too cold, warm up some more, rehearse or perform again. I remember one time my director nearly scolded me for walking around backstage without my full warm-up attire on. He was afraid I was going to get too cold and pull a muscle onstage. He was watching out for me by making sure I was staying warm.
In life, God doesn’t say our time with Him has to look a certain way or be a certain time of day. But when we start our day with Him, He warms our souls and gears us up for the day. And then He continues warming our souls as we walk with Him throughout our day. As we look to Him for help, ask Him for wisdom, and invite Him into the details of our day, He swoops in, wraps us in His love and comfort, and keeps us warm.
The sweetest dance is about discovering the warmth of Christ for your own heart. Let Christ warm you up with His Word, His company, and His Spirit throughout your daily dance and your dreaming journey.
Rest well.
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.”
Psalm 62:1
When I was dancing full-time, the best rest for me after a weekend of performing or a day of rehearsing included putting my feet up, placing a heating pad on my back, and slipping ice packs under my calves. I had to take pressure off my red, swollen feet and help my body feel normal after intense work in pointe shoes.
Now, as a mom of three sons, the best rest for me is taking a hot bath after getting them to bed, putting my feet up (not much has changed), watching an episode of Dancing with the Stars or a good sitcom with my hubby, and then diving into a good book (I really only last ten minutes tops reading my book) before crashing out for a good night’s sleep.
God designed us for rest, for times of nothing, for times of not feeling guilty for not accomplishing anything, for times of recharging and refueling and just being. But He also designed our souls to need a different type of rest . . . resting in Him. Resting in Him can sound like we have to do something, such as pray, read the Bible, or go to church. And those are awesome things, but really, resting in Him is more of a state of our souls that we can live from. It’s a quiet strength that stems from a deep knowing that God loves us and is guiding us. We rest in Him even as we go about our busy lives. Our hearts can know rest when we know Christ. But finding that sense of rest takes time. As we curl up close to Him by spending time with Him and inviting Him into the details of our day, our souls grow restful, our hearts feel His peace, and we experience real, true soul rest. Amid the hectic pace of life, may we remember to rest well, to stop, to pause, to notice, to breathe in God’s presence, gifts, and grace.
Don’t look around.
“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’”
Luke 1:28
If I regret anything about my dancing career, it’s this: that I spent all that time looking around at the other dancers, wishing I were more like them. It’s definitely good to study other dancers’ technique and learn from them. But I wished I were more like them—and that’s a whole different thing. It’s funny how in professional ballet when you’re a snowflake or a flower in the corps de ballet, you have to work hard to be like everyone else and to blend in. However, when you’re a soloist, you get the opportunity to stand out. But dancers are so often trained to blend in that they don’t know how to stand out anymore. I remember trying so hard to be like other dancers that I didn’t even know what being me looked like.
I think of Mary, the mother of Jesus. God picked her out. God intentionally purposed her with a mighty calling to carry the Son of God. He had perfect plans and a holy design for her. He does for you too. I want to encourage you that God sees you and He just wants you to be you. You may feel like nothing special. You may wonder what you could possibly be good at or how God could possibly use you. But know this: trying to be someone else is putting an obstacle up between you and who God designed you to be. God wants you to embrace the gift of you. God picked you out. God intentionally purposed you with a mighty calling to carry His presence into a hurting world. You can stop looking around because of Him. You can be you. You can be you because you have God in you. You carry the very presence of God because you know Jesus. And He wants to do amazing things through you. When you let Christ take over, you start becoming who He designed you to be. You, like Mary, are highly favored. The Lord is with you.
Wear your jewels.
“Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
Luke 2:19
My ballet teacher from the studio where I grew up training as a young dancer painted a great visual picture for us regarding our posture that has always stuck with me. She would tell us to carry ourselves as if our neck were adorned with the most beautiful jewels and that the jewels were even scattered across our shoulders, down our arms, and all the way to our fingertips. I don’t know where you’re sitting right now, dancer or not, but just think about that for a minute. Does it make you sit up a little taller, lift your chin a bit, and even feel a bit like a princess?
I love that visual picture because it invites a dancer to carry herself in such a way that she feels confident, graceful, and strong; it makes her feel different about herself, special. It’s hard to remember, though, to activate that sparkling visual when you’re concentrating on the steps or trying to get through a difficult piece of choreography, but when a dancer does carry herself that way, it’s breathtakingly beautiful.
We have so many jewels lavished on us as daughters of Christ, but we so easily forget all that we have in Him. So I just want to offer these jewels from Psalm 103 to remind you of all you have in Christ so that you ooze confidence, grace, and strength from the inside out:
He forgives all your sins.
He heals all your diseases, all your muck, all your stuff, all your hurts.
He redeems your life from the pit.
He crowns you with love and compassion.
He satisfies your desires with good things.
He renews you day in and day out.
You are also chosen (see 1 Pet. 2:9), adopted (see Eph. 1:5), lavished with grace (see vv. 7–8), and dearly loved (see Col. 3:12).
As you dance your dance and dream with God, may you wear all your jewels, wear all your benefits as a daughter of the King. May knowing all that you have because of Christ light up your soul for this dance of life.
Invite the audience in.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.”
Revelation 3:20
One thing I always tried to keep in the forefront of my mind when I was performing onstage was to invite the audience in to make sure I was making them feel like they were right there in the story of the ballet. To invite the audience in is simply to intrigue them, to welcome them, to dance for them. To invite the audience in is to fully engage with them.
In the hustle and bustle of our daily dances, we must be fully engaged. First, invite in our audience of One—Christ. May we fully open our hearts and lives to His love and presence. May we fully believe that the more we invite Him in, the more we will transform into His likeness.
May we also invite others into our dances. Who in your life can you love well this season? Who can you invite in? Who can you take time to listen to, take time to call, take time to give a special gift, take time to encourage, take time to help? Dancing without inviting the audience in is dancing with something missing. The performance doesn’t feel quite right when we forget the audience. They are just as important as the dancers, the scenery, the lights, the stage makeup, the music, and all the behind-the-scenes crew. Without the audience, there is no performing. Living without inviting Christ and others into our lives is living with something missing. Something doesn’t feel right when we forget our audience of One and the ones we love. He and our loved ones and neighbors are what life is all about.
Smile to the back row.
“I pray that you . . . know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:17, 19
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:23
My ballet teacher growing up used to always remind us to “smile all the way to the back row.” She wanted us to smile to the very last row at the very back of the theater, especially to the very last row at the very top balcony of the auditorium. The audience members sitting in that row may have been far away from the stage, but they were the ones we needed to project to. Her reminder made us project our character and stage presence in a much bigger way than if we were simply dancing for the people in the front row.
Our gaze impacts the state of our hearts. Where we gaze, where we focus, impacts what we think, how we feel, and how we live. Just as it’s hard in a performance to continuously smile all the way to the back row, it’s hard in real life to continuously keep our gaze in the right direction. I encourage you to keep your gaze on Christ, His good gifts, and His presence in your life.
Soak it all in—
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10
“Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Ephesians 4:22–24
I was so nervous during some ballet performances that I didn’t really fully enjoy the performance. I was too busy worrying about a certain step or slipping or whatever it was, I would realize later, that I missed the joy of dancing in the moment. Dancing in the moment isn’t really something you can teach a ballet student. You can’t convince a dancer to do it, but when they do, unfazed by nerves or fears, the most beautiful dancing takes place.
And I think about how in the dance of life, we can so easily plow through our days that sometimes we miss the beauty of living. Have you been there? Have you felt that way? I just urge all of us to pause, to be still, to stop, to pull over, to hop off the treadmill of busyness and simply soak it all in. It’s not easy. It goes against everything in our nature, but here’s the sweet thing: we have a new nature because of our Savior. The old nature has passed away and a new nature resides in us. Sometimes we forget. In fact, I often forget. I often need to sit down and soak all this truth in. I need to soak in that I have the Spirit of God living inside me. This truth is so miraculous, it’s hard to wrap our minds around it and understand exactly what it means. But let’s hold on to this: when we let our hearts get still enough to soak in God’s presence, our new nature starts to take over. The Holy Spirit that resides in us has room to move and work as we get still enough to let Him take over. Life urges us to hurry because there’s so much to do. Yes, there’s so much to do. But the Spirit urges us in a different way to sit down with Him and soak in more of Him. How can you set aside the busyness of today and soak in more of Christ? More joy awaits you.
Pack your dance bag.
“‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”
Luke 10:41–42
A ballet dancer’s dance bag is everything to her. It holds everything she could possibly need. And without it, well, not much dancing can happen. Here’s the short version of the contents of my typical daily dance bag: ballet shoes (two pairs), pointe shoes (two to five pairs), toe pads (two pairs), leg warmers, warm socks, booties, leotards (at least two), tights (at least two pairs), sweater, jacket, bandages, toe tape, blister pads, scissors, needle, thread, hairspray, hair gel, body splash, toenail clippers, IcyHot, ibuprofen, foot roller, shoe scraper, stage makeup, bobby pins, hairpins, brush, makeup remover wipes, snacks, Gatorade, phone, headphones, journal and pen (always!), a good book . . . that’s just the basics. You get the idea. A ballet dancer’s dance bag contains everything she could possibly need in a rehearsal, a performance, a backstage quick change, or a backstage emergency. It prepares her for anything.
In our dances through life, may we remember that time with our Savior is everything. May our time with Him rise to the very top of our priorities. But it shouldn’t be simply another line to check off our to-do list or a way to prove ourselves to God or get on His “good list.” No, we must understand that hanging out with Jesus is the most important thing to prepare us for life. During our time with Jesus, we gain access to all the tools, resources, preparation, and wisdom we could possibly need. He invites us to get to know Him so that He may love on us, reveal His heart to us, and transform our hearts. He’s calling out to you and inviting you to come spend time with Him so He may lead you through this dance of life. He wants you to find the life He created you for. He doesn’t want you to miss it . . . or miss Him. Will you choose to make Him your everything?
Dance with confidence.
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Jeremiah 33:3
Something that breaks my heart when I’m watching a ballet class, coaching a dancer, or watching a performance is when I see a dancer who has lost her confidence. I have been that dancer, and I know what it feels like. Sometimes a dancer gets lost in the tangled web of comparison, fear, or insecurity. That’s when the joy slips away and a dancer must find her way back to dance with confidence again. I sometimes want to take a dancer by the shoulders, look straight into her eyes, and give her a pep talk. “You have what it takes. You are a beautiful dancer. You have a gift. You need to believe it.” When a dancer sets aside the lies she’s been believing and instead focuses on the truth about herself, her confidence comes back, and she dances the most beautiful kind of dancing.
I don’t know whether your confidence has slipped in life, but I want to take you by the shoulders and tell you that with God you have what it takes. You are beautiful. You have gifts. You need to believe it. I don’t know specifically what your gifts are, but I pray you discover whatever God has given to you. Some of you may not know how God has gifted you. You may wonder, like I have in the past, How can God use me? But please know that you can call to Him, and He will delight to show you and to “tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Let Him fill you with the confidence you need to display your beautiful gifts. And hold on to this: when you use your gifts, you are administering God’s grace to others. Call to Him. He believes in you. When you trust that He does, you will glow with confidence.
Stay focused.
“Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Colossians 3:1–2
“Direct my footsteps according to your word.”
Psalm 119:133
Putting on stage makeup, for me, was not just putting on fake eyelashes and having fun with bright red lipstick. Putting on stage makeup was getting in the zone. The time I spent applying eye shadow, blush, and mascara while listening to music that stirred my heart helped me get my mind focused on the performance. Sometimes I would chitchat with the dancer next to me and we would swap stories and so forth, but most times, the dancer next to me was doing the same thing . . . staying focused. Jumping onstage unfocused, unprepared mentally, can be dangerous. That time sitting in front of the dressing room mirror was the first step in preparing for a great performance. Like dancing, it takes discipline to set our hearts and our minds on Christ. It takes effort to invite Him into our days, to study His Word, and to pray. It takes choosing Him over other things.
After I finished my stage makeup, I would always head to the backstage area to slip into my pointe shoes just a few minutes before the curtain went up and the show began. I loved watching all the behind-the-scenes stuff going on—the lighting crew testing the lights, the stage crew sweeping the stage, the stage manager reviewing cues, and the other dancers going over their choreography. In our daily dances and our dreaming journeys, we can stay focused on Christ because He’s doing all the behind-the-scenes stuff. He’s taking care of our dreaming hearts, which have hopes, plans, desires, and dreams. He knows the details of our hearts. He knows His plans for us. He knows where He’s taking us. We don’t have to figure all that out. He’s directing our footsteps. Our jobs? Stay focused on Him. He’ll take care of everything going on behind the scenes.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
John 14:6
Probably the first correction a ballet dancer will ever receive in her early training years is to point her toes. And the funny thing is, she will hear that correction over and over and over throughout her career. It can’t be said enough: “point your toes.” I have a “point” for you as you head out into your own dance with the Lord. I don’t think you could ever hear it enough. I don’t think I could say it enough. And I don’t think your heart has heard it enough: God has special plans for your life. I know I’ve written it to you a zillion times. I know you may have skimmed over it because you’ve already heard it a zillion times, but I want you to take it in, really take it in. God has special plans for your life. He designed you for a purpose. He made you unique from anyone else, and He loves you more than you could possibly imagine. The way to know that plan? The way to discover who He wants you to be? He is the way. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Eternally, yes! That would have been enough of a gift. But it’s true on earth too. He wants to lead you through this dance of life. I used to hear people say, “God has a special plan for your life,” and I always thought that was just so cool. I wanted to discover it because it sounded exciting and adventurous. Of course, it is, but what’s sweeter is that discovering God’s special plans for our lives is really about more than journeying through life with Jesus and growing dependent on Him for direction, wisdom, and love. It’s intimately knowing Jesus and walking with Him; there’s no greater thing. So point your toes if you’re dancing, but more important, remember God has special plans for your life.
“My soul thirsts for you.”
Psalm 63:1 ESV
“Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:14
“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
John 7:38
For a ballet dancer, an athlete, a mom, a gal, any person, staying hydrated is incredibly important. Keeping that constant source of water nearby is key to functioning at our best. I have a bit of a tendency to hydrate more on coffee than water, especially when I’m writing, so I have to be really careful to make sure my water intake outweighs my coffee intake. But I also want to talk about a different kind of hydrating. Our souls need Living Water. Our souls thirst for a deep connection to our Savior. Our souls were designed to function best on a constant source, a constant flow of Living Water.
I can sense when I need to get with my Savior. My soul feels thirsty. My tendency is to try to quench that thirst with something else. But I have found that Jesus is the only thing that truly quenches my deep soul thirst. In your day-to-day dances and in your giant leaps toward the dreams God is dancing with you, take time every day to hydrate your soul with Christ’s Living Water. God came down to earth, born in the manger, to quench your thirsty soul. Notice when your soul feels thirsty. Notice when you feel that soul unrest, that void, that nudge that something feels off. That’s how God designed you. That ache is your soul needing to connect with your Savior. When you feel that, run to Him. Grab your Bible. Grab your journal. Grab some coffee. Find a cozy nook. Sit with Him. Let Him hydrate your soul. I can’t really say how He will quench your thirst. He does it in ways unique to each person. His Word satisfies. His presence satisfies. His personal involvement in your life satisfies. His nearness satisfies. As you set about your dreaming journey, stay hydrated in Him.
Use hair gel.
(I promise this is applicable to your life!)
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.”
1 Thessalonians 4:11
One of the most important rules during my dancing days growing up was to use hair gel on performance days. I know it sounds very insignificant compared to other things, but it was key. We were trained to use serious gel. We used to use the brand called Dippity-do. First, we would wet our hair, then we would take a brush (the kind that wouldn’t make “railroad tracks” in our hair), smooth our hair into a tight ponytail, and then secure it with a hair rubber band. Then we would get a big scoop of Dippity-do and slather it all over our hair before repeating the hairbrush strokes to smooth out all the hair wispies. Wispies are loose hairs, and the reason ballet dancers don’t like wispies is that from stage, they show! Under the stage lights, hair wispies seem to glow and take on a character all their own. And that’s a no-no. They look sloppy, and a dancer doesn’t want sloppy hair onstage. After applying the gel, we would then spray hairspray all over our heads. Later, after the show, our hair was literally crispy, but it looked beautiful when we were dancing onstage. I carried this hair gel routine into my professional dancing years because I discovered that onstage, slicked-back, smooth, no-wispy hair was professional. Wispies are distracting. Smoothing back all those loose strands simplifies things.
I promised you this was going to apply to your life, so here we go! Simplifying our lives actually beautifies them. What’s distracting you? What’s frazzling you? How can you simplify your life? Sometimes we take on too much. Sometimes we try to do it all. Sometimes we get so lost in our doing that we forget about our living. Sometimes we live so distracted that we feel frazzled on the inside. Simplifying sorts us out. For me, simplifying means several things.
Unplugging—when I unplug from the internet, social media, and email, my soul seems to take a deep breath. As I go dark, my soul lights up.
Slowing down—when I’m aware of my pace, when I notice my rushing tendency and physically slow down my pace, my soul seems to unwind.
Saying no—when I let go of the pressure to say yes to everything and instead pray about each commitment and ask for God’s wisdom, my soul seems to relax.
These are just some of the ways I simplify my life. We all feel it when our souls are growing frazzled. We all feel it when our hearts are feeling stressed. But when we simplify, we do this: “Make it [our] ambition to lead a quiet life.” A quiet life of Jesus leading our hearts. It’s good for the soul.
Enjoy the moments.
“Walk in the light, as he is in the light.”
1 John 1:7
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Jeremiah 29:11
I spent many moments of my dancing career trying to figure out future moments and the next steps in my dancing career. I spent many moments wondering how dancing and being a mom was going to work. I spent many moments worrying about what life after a dancing career would look like. I spent many moments worrying about the future or dwelling over the past, and meanwhile, I was missing the present. Don’t we all sometimes forget to enjoy the present? But God is in the present moment. God is not in the past. He was when you were there at the time, but no, He’s not there now. God’s not in the future either. He knows all about it and He sees it all and He will be there when you get there, but no, He’s not there now. God is in the present moment, with you, dear one. Jesus came to earth to walk with you through these moments. And when we stay with Him, our hearts dance. Our hearts light up when we walk in the light as He is in the light. When we stay with Him in the moment, it’s as if our hearts are proclaiming, “God has my future . . . it’s in His hands.” Sisters, I’m not saying this is an easy thing to do. It goes against everything in us. But I hold on to this: “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37 ESV). Staying present in the moment with God is possible . . . and enjoying those present moments is the most beautiful place to be.
Soak your feet.
“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”
Ephesians 3:17–18
“For the word of God is alive and active.”
Hebrews 4:12
A dancer has to take care of her feet. The best remedy for aching, red, raw, sore, and tired feet is to soak them. A bucket of ice-cold water revives and renews the muscles for the next day of dancing. As the icy cold surrounds the muscles, the feet start to heal. Just as a dancer must take good care of her feet because they carry her in her dancing, we too must take care of what carries us through our dreaming dances—our hearts.
I pray you have felt your heart start to soak in the goodness of God’s love. I pray you have begun to feel Christ’s love wrapping around your heart and starting to revive, renew, and repair it. I pray your heart is starting to come alive as you soak in the good news of our Savior. I want to encourage you to keep soaking in the steadying power of God’s Word. Keep your heart grounded in Scripture. The way to keep your heart rooted in Christ is to keep your heart and mind in His Word. His Word is everything. It supports you in your dreaming journey, guiding and encouraging you. God’s Word is powerful, active, and alive. God’s Word is your secure footing. God’s Word lights up your heart. God’s Word is your steady foundation. Take care to get your heart in God’s Word. God wants to use it to speak truth to you. He wants to wash your heart in His truth and pour His truth into your soul.
Trust your partner.
“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
Isaiah 41:13
I love dancing with a partner onstage. When a male dancer holds a ballerina just right on her leg, lifts her high into the air, and carries her across the stage effortlessly, it makes my heart dance! The ballerina must completely trust her partner. And sometimes it’s really hard. Sometimes a ballerina wants to take the lead. She wants to be in control. But she has to trust. She has to let the male dancer lead. She has to trust he knows where she needs to be, when she needs to be there. She has to trust he knows what he is doing. When she does, beauty happens. The same thing is true in this dance of life. We have the best dance partner—God. When we let the Lord lead our lives, beauty happens. But it’s hard to trust Him sometimes, isn’t it? It’s hard to truly give our lives over to Him completely. Sometimes we want to be in control, to lead our own lives. We think we know best. But we must remember, He knows where we need to be. He knows when we need to be there. He knows what He’s doing. Our lives work best when Jesus is leading. When we let Him lead, we can find a deeper joy than we’ve ever known before. Will you trust your Partner, your Savior?
Secure your pointe shoe ribbons.
“You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.”
Job 11:18
This is my greatest advice to a ballet dancer on performance day: “Secure your pointe shoe ribbons.” It was also my greatest secret weapon for a successful show. By secure, I mean sew the ribbons together at the knot with a needle and thread. I usually did three or four secure knots. Then I sprayed the knots with a good dose of hairspray. Every single time. Every single performance. Because when we don’t secure our pointe shoe ribbons, they can easily come undone. The worst thing ever for a ballet dancer is to be dancing beautifully onstage only to have her ribbons come undone. It’s an invitation to fall. It’s a distraction for the dancer. What I love about securing my pointe shoe ribbons is that once I tie that final knot and clip off the extra thread with my scissors, I know my pointe shoe ribbons are one less thing I have to worry about onstage. I don’t have to wonder if they are coming undone. I can enjoy the performance fully knowing they are secured.
Daughter of Christ, as you begin your dreaming dance, you can know you’re secure in Christ. You can know He’s got you. You can know He loves you. You can know you will spend eternity in heaven with Him if you believe He died on the cross for your sins and rose again for you. On top of all that, you can know He wants to dance with you through life, leading you, guiding you, and helping you. You can rest assured you’re His daughter. You can rest assured He’s watching over your sweetest dance. You can be fully confident He has your every step. Let your heart dance securely as you step into dreaming with God.
Dance on, sweet one. He’s got you. Dreaming with God will be the sweetest dance.