Hi everyone,
So the school year is coming to a close and along with it also are some of the kids’ extracurricular activities. One such activity is our daughter’s hip hop dance class. She quite enjoys her dancing, as she’s been in ballet on and off over the years, this year was her first year in hip hop, and now she wants to (and has already signed up) for silks, acro, musical theatre, and I’m sure I’m missing some others. She just loves to dance.
The funny thing is that one of our sons used to love dancing too. He loved it so much when he was little that I was convinced that he’d make a career out of it as he was pretty good for a 3-4 year old. But as the years went on, the only time he actually dances is when he does a “happy dance” when there is a food he particularly enjoys on the dinner table or when he’s celebrating some sort of victory (like when he gets a mundane trivia question right from his equally mundane father). He loved dance at one point, but not so much anymore.
Two kids from the same gene pool. One is a dancer through and through, the other might enjoy it but just isn’t it.
Now I’m not saying that I prefer one over the other by any means, but I’m just saying that they’re different in personality and what gives them life. And that difference is seen in who they are and where their passions lie, not in just actions that are done randomly or even out of habit.
Anyone can do something, but it takes one to actually do it. (yeah I had to read that one over a couple times to make sure that it makes sense… and the jury is still out on whether it does or not).
Here are the readings for next week:
Jeremiah 28:5-9
Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
Romans 6:12-23
Matthew 10:40-42
So you might be wondering what the love of dance has to do with these texts. I think the theme for next week is around identity, as who we are and whose we are. I know we talk about this often, but it is an important reminder for us as the world seems to always tell us different.
See, we are often defined by what we do, how much we make, or what our family looks like. We are classified by where were are from, who our parents are, and what body bits we received by chance. Some people even like to size us up by what stars were prominent in the sky when we were born. There are a lot of things that try to define who we are.
But these texts to me remind us that we are people of God, cherished and loved, forgiven and redeemed. Knowing that this is who we are moves us to be who we are. And who we are is full of passion, compassion, and love.
And through it all, we are washed by waves of God’s grace and mercy, and welcomed into God’s loving arms of community. This is seen in our relationships with others. It is revealed through our regard for the world. It is proven by the very fact that we are forgiven, time and again, always bringing us back into God’s kingdom where we are given a name, a purpose, and a reason to live the life that truly is life.
Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!
Photo by Jess Zoerb on Unsplash