Hot nights and hotter days were typical in the summer of 1973. It was a summer of first love. It was a time when everything was seen through rose-colored glasses. Everything felt so new and so good. Love was in the air. It was in all we did. Summer heat and the potion of love had a hypnotizing effect on how I felt. New discoveries were on the horizon. Being young meant so many things! We had friends galore. We had time for hanging out with buddies and school was out. We’d ride our bikes, go to the pool, soak ourselves in the ‘Johnny-pumps’ (fire hydrants). Have chips, cakes, ice cream, soda, etc. Life was heavenly!
It was also a summer of my going back to Coney Island with some friends. I hadn’t been there in about a decade. I couldn’t believe that those $.05 and $.25 rides were now $.50 to over $1.50 each! In the sweltering heat, one thing stood out that summer: from Coney Island to McCarren park, blasting through the speakers were songs like Party, Party by The JB’s with Maceo on the sax and I Can Understand It (The New Birth), as well as Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. Music filled the air; it permeated everywhere. The songs, the music, the sounds of laughter from the guys on the block, combined with smells from fried chicken to jelly doughnuts (the thick kind made by the Acme Baking Co.), etc. all made that summer so special. When it was too hot to eat upstairs, I’d ask Mom for a dollar. I’d head to the diner on the corner where I could get 2 scrambled eggs with fries, toast, and a soda (for $.55). If hungry, I’d add a burger for $.45 more. Yummy times!
Along with the music came the beat. The beat to move ‘ya around and around. The beats from the songs caused some to move to the “Bump.’ Others, danced to Salsa, while others just grooved doing their own thing.
Dancing has lots of benefits, though I don’t dance! But I think most of us ‘move’ in our own way. Some folks put on their favorite dancing shoes, while some dance in whatever ‘soles’ they have on. Some girls just love to dance barefooted-and then some, dance in huge, spikey heels! Dancing relieves stress. It can help clear our minds off issues that beset us. Anger, grief, or sadness can all be pushed aside while we move to music and dance whether within us, or playing outside.
People like my mom, who doesn’t dance either, can’t picture God dancing. But He does! He’s known as The Lord of the Dance. Scripture shows that in worship we dance before Him. We celebrate His triumphs. We celebrate His presence in our lives. We honor Him and we celebrate His awesomeness. Scripture tells us in Zephaniah 3:17 (AMP) “The Lord your God is with you, The Mighty Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love (making no mention of your past sins), He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” The words ‘rejoice over you’ mean to dance, skip, spin around, or leap around in joy.
Now, God may not dance to our songs, and we don’t know the types of shoes He wears, but we do know the types of ‘souls’ He seeks. God seeks repentant souls. When we repent of our sins, not only does God dance over us, but the angels in heaven also rejoice (Luke 15:10). All this rejoicing and dancing can only mean one thing: Heaven is a delightful place. It’s a place where sorrow doesn’t fit in. It’s where worry is kept out beyond the gates. God’s house is a joyful place.
Whatever your dancing shoes look like, bring them out!! Dance like King David danced with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14-22) before God!!! Are your sins forgiven? Leap before Him!!!
You’re a new creation? Shout before Him!!! Has He made you glad? Rejoice in His presence!!! He no longer remembers your past sins and mistakes? Sing and dance before Him with excitement!!! Seems like heaven will be a place for partying. It will take centuries just to quiet our excitement for making it there and then for eons we will praise, with excitement and joy, the One Who made it happen!
Praise Him with tambourine and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe (Psalm 150:4)!
God Bless!