Dancing WIth God

So, this is something that I posted on my Facebook book almost two years ago, and yet I have failed to go back and read it until today when I was doing my Bible study. It is a prayer that I’m sure many of us have heard before or received in an email. Either we listened/read and thought about it or we ignored it or deleted it without a thought. The prayer is “Dancing With God” and I have yet to find who it was written by, but I thought I’d share it again. Think about it, meditate on it, and think about these questions: Have I been dancing with God? If so, have I been letting Him lead?

“Dancing With God”When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw 'G': I thought of God, followed by 'u' and 'i'. 'God, 'u' and 'i' dance.' God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead. My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life. I Hope You Dance!

After reading this, as most of you who probably know me would figure, I searched for verses on letting God be the leader and doing His will and trusting His plan in our lives. I also was drawn to the song, “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder You get your fill to eat But always keep that hunger May you never take one single breath for granted God forbid love ever leave you empty handed I hope you still feel small When you stand by the ocean Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance I hope you dance I hope you dance I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance Never settle for the path of least resistance Living might mean taking chances But they're worth taking Lovin' might be a mistake But it's worth making Don't let some hell bent heart Leave you bitter When you come close to selling out Reconsider Give the heavens above More than just a passing glance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance I hope you dance (Time is a real and constant motion always) I hope you dance (Rolling us along) I hope you dance (Tell me who) I hope you dance (Wants to look back on their youth and wonder) (Where those years have gone) I hope you still feel small When you stand by the ocean Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance Dance I hope you dance I hope you dance (Time is a real and constant motion always) I hope you dance (Rolling us along) I hope you dance (Tell me who) (Wants to look back on their youth and wonder) I hope you dance (Where those years have gone) (Tell me who) I hope you dance (Wants to look back on their youth and wonder) (Where those years have gone)

Never have I thought of it before, but this is a perfect depiction of what God says to us. Give faith in Him a chance, take a path less travelled and dance with Him. Trust Him. Love Him. Pray to Him and sit back and watch Him work out His ways. Never before did I find that so entertaining. We all worry. We all doubt, but it is easier to give it to Him and sit back and watch what happens. Patience is a virtue, one that some of us lack in, myself included. We are told multiple times in the Bible (I’m sure more than I’m about to say) to have patience and thanksgiving in ANY and EVERY situation that is placed in our lives. A few verses, passages, or chapters that you can reference (and I suggest to you) are:

James 5:7-20 talks about patience through suffering and our prayer of faith.Matthew 6:25-34 shows us how God really does care and how He takes care of us.Philippians 4:6-13 Do not be anxious about it. Christ has our back.

I was thinking this morning about how things and situations in my own life have been playing out since I’ve came to KSU. First friend that I met led me to Christ. Without Christ I wouldn’t have met her, but without her I’m not sure that I would know Him. At the same time, her love for Him also got me involved in a campus ministry where I ended up meeting, and getting to spend time with, people my own age who soon became a very large part of my life. They ended up becoming friends of mine who, when times got rough and I’d go to THEM for guidance, would point me to God. I didn’t understand at the time because I thought that is what friends were for. It says it in the Bible that two are better than one so when one falls down the other can help him up (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). It also says to share our sins, falsities, and worries with one another so that we can help each other (James 5:16) and to encourage one another daily (Hebrews 3:12-13). But at the same time, and this is me getting back to the point, Christ wants our full attention. A slap to the face and strong conviction on my part was when I read Jeremiah 17.

Jeremiah 17:5-10 says:

5 This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

He wants to be the one who leads and He is the one who plans our ways (Proverbs 16:9 and Romans 8:28). God is the one who seeks to have our full attention. He placed us here to love on one another, but not just those who are believers. To love on one another is NOT to do what will please the other, but to love as Christ loved and to seek His will above others’ whole-heartedly (Galatians 1:10). Who are we putting our trust in (Psalm 62 and 63 are some of my favorites, you should probably look at them too, Psalm 40 is also a good oneJ)?

In closing, I’d like to go back to another previous note that I wrote “God Like the Sunrise” and say this: Christ comes first. When we let Him lead, the things of this world, what people say, how people act towards us, they don’t matter. Christ has a bigger promise for us that many don’t understand. His promise is greater than money, a job, the amount of friends we have, that relationship with another person. His promise is eternal life in Heaven (John 14:21, Romans 6:23, Matthew 6:33, and Matthew 19:29).

Sorry this is such a long note. I kind of went crazy when things started popping into my head and then I started writing and that led to me probably getting a little carried away with my thoughts.

Are you dancing with God? And if so, are you letting Him lead?

I love you friends, and I hope you all have a magnificent week!!!!

~Sharina Marie

Psalm 40:8 “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

Those I love

This is the first post I have put up (obviously). It would have been something new, but I'm in a hurry and kind of felt obligated to post something. This is a poem that I wrote last April or May for some awesome friends and beings who helped me through the toughest times in my life. ENJOY!!!

Those I Love
~by Sharina Marie Schaller

To you who have shown me your unending love,
It’s hard not to believe there is someone looking out for us from up above.
To give me your all,
And help me when I fall,
To help me and show you care,
Always and even if life doesn’t seem fair.
To you who have helped me live,
All you have done for me is give and give and give.
Even if I don’t seem like I trust,
Never have you let our friendship be a bust.
Even if I say that I live my life in fear,
Forever and always you will be here.
Sometimes I wonder whether God is real,
But then you show me love and I know He is the true deal.
How much you care and love me and show comfort,
You help to ease the pain, the suffering, and especially the hurt.
Even when my life is out of control and a mess,
You never turn your back on me or say that you could care less.
Some days it is difficult to live,
but you succeed in making me smile.
It seems like it may never happen,
but it usually just takes a while.
Some days it seems it will just be tear after tear,
With just one call I know God and a friend are near.
Sometimes it feels like the end is never going to be in view,
But you know how to comfort me and succeed in helping me get through.
At times I try and put up a fight,
But you fight back and leave me with such amazing and beautiful insight.
When it always seems a struggle day after day,
All I want to do is just to get away,
I remember Psalm 139, that God knows my heart,
I continue to push on because I know we will never be apart.
My life would be nothing and it may not be much,
But you help calm my fears with your loving and gentle touch.
God has shown me multiple things,
The biggest is that angels do exist, even those without wings.
When the gap in my heart seems to be infinitely wide,
I can make one call and in you I can confide.
I think of the memories both funny and sad that we share,
I reminisce about the good times, those memories will always be there.
When I want to give up you are only one call away,
And no matter how much I complain,
you always seem to know what to say.
I now know what it feels like to be part of God's family, my friend,
To have such amazing fellowship, I know this friendship will never end.
Even if you do not always understand,
You never hesitate no matter what to lend a helping hand.
So to you that have shown me your unending love,
God shows me only a bit of what waits in Heaven, with Him up above.
I just want you to know that it means so much to me everything you do.
I just want to say thanks and that I love you!!