Wednesday, April 26, 2017

LAUGH, SING, DANCE


2 Samuel 6:14 KJV
14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Life has its ups and downs but we should celebrate the good in life. We should embrace the lovely. Life can knock the wind out of us or pull the rug from under us but we should celebrate the good in life. In fact, we should celebrate God, the giver of all good.
HAPPY WEDNESDAY Ladies!!!!!!!
Celebrate the good in life!!!!!
Celebrate Jesus, the Giver of life and ALL that's good in life!!!
Celebrate!!!!!!!
Years ago, I was in constant celebration mode. I loved God with all of my little heart. Life was easy and simplistic. I was surrounded by beautiful, wonderful, fascinating people and things. Not only was life good but, I truly believed it and this truism exuded from every fiber of being. 
I used to enjoy singing and dancing. And, I REALLY enjoyed laughing. Feeling good, making others feel good, telling jokes, and responding to the wonders of life with laughter was my modus operandi.
Laughter was always bubbling up in me. It didn't take much to have me LAUGHING OUT LOUD!!!! A cheesy joke could have me laughing til my sides ached. Laughter heralded my arrival; simply put, I was heard before I was seen. Remember, life was good, I believed it, and goodness flowed through me.
I was affectionately nicknamed "Queen Jeanine the Laughing Machine" by my playmates. Some of my boy cousins snidely called me "motor mouth;" I didn't care. I was carefree and I lived AND LAUGHED out loud. 
My childhood and adolescent memories are filled with twists, twirls, toe-tapping tunes and terrific talent. As a young girl, I laughed between dance sets and I sang through chuckles. My songs were concluded with the largest of smiles. My smile and my hearty laughs were my trademarks. From toothless to toothy, I was smiling. 
I sang and danced my way through life. From New Orleans to Nairobi and back, I hummed and pranced around the world. I was a member of several choirs and I danced with a couple of troupes. I often danced for fun; dancing was a natural expression for me and a direct consequence of my birth in the land of jazz and blues. Singing and dancing were both incredible outlets but deep passions. My life was rich and rhythmic! 
I am well remembered, among my extended family members, as the little girl that belted out at the top of her lungs during a family gathering, "I can dance to any song that comes on the radio." Laugh out loud! I surely hope that my younger self wouldn't have been interested in dancing to every song that came on the radio but, nevertheless, the point remains, I danced and sang my way through life. And, I happily enjoyed doing so. 
Psalm 149: 3 KJV
Let them praise [God] in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
Well, sometime ago, I stopped singing and I stopped dancing. The burdens of life drowned out my voice and stifled my steps. My zest and zeal were zapped. My passions and promises were sapped. Satan whispered lies in my ears; they took root. Trauma hardened my body but Satan's lies hardened my heart. God's goodness couldn't so freely flow through my veins. What happened? LIFE happened!!!! I became a prisoner of war.
I didn't make a conscious decision to forego singing and dancing. But, spiritual attack after spiritual attack and setback and setback strangled my soul and silenced my voice. I became trapped, voiceless and danceless, in my own body. I went from an active doer in life to a passive observer of others' lives. I lived vicariously through other adventurers and explorers. Happiness bled from my life. I no longer lived in the happy place of vibrant colors, singing, laughing, and dancing. Sadly, spiritual attacks catapulted me into a world of drab grays and a melancholy existence. Sigh....
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THANK GOD nothing can separate us from the love of God!!!!! His love, light, and power transcends all. God can rescue anyone from the deepest, darkest pits. I am a living witness.
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Fast forward......
Healing is a journey. Day by day and year by year, I was restored. Just like Jesus told the lame man to pick up his mat and walk (John 5:8 KJV), He beckoned me to literally LAUGH OUT LOUD, to sing again, and to dance unto Him. So, if you hear me singing or see me dancing unto the Lord or perhaps laughing out loud, with gusto and delight, then rest assure God's hand is upon me. The Lord is finishing the great thing that He began in me. 
Month after month, the Lord chiseled away at my stress-induced seriousness, perfectionism, and pessimism. I'm still a work in progress. But, I fastidiously welcome God's transforming, amazing grace in my life. While happiness is a moving target, fullness of joy can still be found in God's presence.
Dearest Ladies, have the sorrows and setbacks of life diminished you? Have you buried your God-given gifts and talents? Have you wondered if God will breathe life onto the old, shriveled up dreams and pleasures of your yesteryears? Or, has God blessed you with new, rich, life-enhancing passions? God has great plans for your life. Each plan is connected to His greater purpose. Trust the Lord to see you through. Seek the Lord! Abide in Him! Take up your mat and LIVE!!!!!!
Love, blessings, and hugs

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for this encouragement! I have spent time in the gray, dole-drones, but God is bringing me back and putting a new song in my heart!

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    1. AMEN Julie! It's so exciting to experience God's transformation in our lives! I'm so happy for you. I'm thrilled about all that God is doing in your life. The Lord will never fail you. The best is yet to come. Love and blessings!

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  2. This is great encouragement! I am blessed with fairly new passions and excited to see how the Lord uses me.

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    1. Greetings Natalie! Praise the Lord for your fairly new passions! Although your passions are new, God is the ancient of days. He is never-changing. His love is constant, steady, and faithful. The Lord will gently and compassionately lead and guide you in the administration of your passions. Trust Him and have fun! Hugs!

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  3. Awesome, Jeanine. Thanks for the reminder in such a beautiful, powerful way, not to let the enemy steal our joy...steal our laughter or our dancing. Great words, "The burdens of life drowned out my voice and stifled my steps. My zest and zeal were zapped." Blessings!

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    1. Dearest darling Karen, thanks for stopping by. Praise the Lord! Let's continue to laugh and dance our way through life. The Lord tells us that a merry heart is good medicine. And, He welcomes us to dance before Him in praise and adoration. Jesus paid a hefty price for our joy. Joy is undeniably ours but we have to fiercely fight to protect it. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy but, Jesus came that we might have an abundant life. Cha-cha! Love, blessings, and hugs to you and yours! Cheers!

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