If You Stumble Make It Part of the Dance… Hello Weekend Readers. I have been musing on this topic ever since I opened the Dove dark chocolate hearts Al gave me for my birthday. I didn’t realize they had these quotes on the inside of the red foil, so when I saw this quote it captured my attention along with the very delicious dark chocolate!

I think this phrase caught me because when I was young I was in ballet. Mind you, I was more of a one-step-and-fall ballerina, but I was determined to get the dance correct! It was hard work, but the rewards were so fulfilling for me. I just loved ballet so getting that dance choreography made this little ballerina filled with joy—even when she fell on her butt!

However, that was then and this is now! As we age that dance ability gets a little tougher. In fact, there are times my footing isn’t the best and the dance is a stumble instead. I am so glad Al is there to grab me before I do a splat on the ground. At the first sign of a stumble his hand is there to steady me and I am grateful.

The spiritual part of this word “stumble” is also something that we all take a splat on our faces! We can plow ahead to do something without even thinking if this is what God is calling us to do. We can jump right in and find ourselves knee-deep in trouble. Trying to cover-up the blooper makes it even worse. You almost want to find someone else to blame it on. For me, I can blame it on bad shoes, bad timing, my glasses are dirty…which, of course, is all a white-wash.

Why do we deliberately take a path that is perilous—especially when we know the obstacles that await us? We tell ourselves not to do that again, but we return to those paths more than we realize. Let’s face it, disobedience always results in a rumbling stumbling mess.

However, we have a great road-map for our faith walk a Psalm of David: 37:23-24 (NLT): “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.”

Another promise of how God keeps us from stumbling and putting us on the right path is from Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT): “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding … Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

So what dance do we want to do when we have picked up ourselves from the floor, hoping no one sees our stumbles? Well, God will be dancing with us my friends! In Zephaniah 3:17 from the TLV (Hebrew translation) is says: Adonai your God is in your midst—a mighty Savior! He will delight over you with joy. He will quiet you with His love. He will dance for joy over you with singing!”

God dances over me—really?! Yes indeed. In fact, the full Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit is there for you. And, when Jesus takes your hand and leads you gently into that dance, you will find your footing in the perfect place! No more stumbling, you are on solid ground. Your dance will be amazing and your heart will be filled with a joy you could never imagine. And remember, this isn’t a one-time thing; this is the promise that this dance is yours always.

So, whether you are walking with toe-shoes, ski-boots, sneakers, work-boots, high-heels or flip-flops, you have a Savior who is ready 24/7 to catch your stumble and put you on the right path. Let Him take your hand and guide you every day on the path He has laid out for you. Jesus leads you in the dance and each step is His perfect choreography! So go ahead, break out the chocolate and have a dance with your beloved Savior, AMEN.