The story...
I went to college during the disco-dance era. Guys often met girls at parties where young men had the opportunity to ask women to dance. Like many other guys, I was a reluctant to display my lack of dancing skills amongst my peers - especially the girls who I admired from a distance. John Travolta showed us how it was done on Saturday Night Fever and the dancing experience was a whole lotta fun.
After college, I moved to Tennessee where there was a different style of country-western dancing like the 2-step we danced to the Cotton-Eyed Joe. I was new to Knoxville, so I went to two different churches on Sunday mornings followed by dance lessons at noon. I wanted to be involved in community and meet my life partner - not knowing how to dance well was a barrier. I met my life partner there in 1981 - praise God. She was a practiced dancer who made dancing easy - she made me look and feel good. She made it look like I was leading although I often didn't know what I was doing or what the next pattern was.
Relationships are much like a ballroom dance where you can hold your partner in various ways. For me, it was great when I learned to hold her loosely with subtle, yet clear, signals as to where we were moving next. She silently let me know what she wanted to do and where to go. When it worked well, we flowed across the floor as a unit - continuous movements that didn't feel anything like work. The close intimate relationship on the dance floor seemed kind of like a good relationship.
Like on the dance floor, I had a difficult time maintaining close relationships throughout life. I've learned relationship building and sustaining skills along the way and now greatly value the relationships I have. There are similarities between a good relationships and the relationship on the dance floor - a metaphor. Why not learn how to dance, go to places where people dance, and get out there on the dance floor of life?
Strangely, many churches didn't allow dancing amongst boys and girls either within church or outside of church. They were worried about unwanted close relationship building. Yet, the only church in town will encourage relationship building. God with me, me with Him, me with them, them with me, me with him/her, and her/him with me. It seems wise to hold them loosely and work out the most important relationship with God first. Learn about Him, learn the dance, dance life with Him, dance with friends while holding them loosely, and enjoy the community at the dance party too. A dance party isn't a solemn place - you'll find happiness and joy there - a good metaphor for the only church in town?
Just for today...
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