"How do you dance?"

A few weeks ago I went to eat lunch with Joshua at his kindergarten. Lunch is the last main event of the day. After lunch they play outside, have rest time and then pack up to go home. This particular day it was raining so instead of recess the class was having a "dance party." This sounded like fun to me so I asked Joshua if he wanted to stay for the party. He said "No ma'am, I want to check out." As we pulled away in the van I asked Joshua why he did not want to stay for the dance party. "Because it's no fun. We have to dance like you would at a wedding. We can't boogie or break dance or anything fun. I don't like to wedding dance." First of all I did not know he knew how to boogie and I certainly didn't know he knew about break dancing. I had to ask this question..."How do you dance at a wedding?" "You know mommy, like a butterfly. We have to sway, float and twirl. I like to dance!" This precious 6 year old who was raised "southern baptist" likes to dance. Can you believe it? I can!! We dance a lot here at home. We don't boogie and we don't break dance, but turn on some awesome praise music and we have been known to worship the night away with our feet. After all, David danced before the Lord. For David it was a form of worship. How do you dance? How do you worship? The other day I was in my bedroom singing "No Sweeter Name" at the top of my lungs with both hands raised in praise to the Lord. Caleb walked in and said, "Who are you waving to? When you do that it looks like you are waving to someone. Hey Jesus, what's up? How you doing up there?" Caleb can always make me laugh. I explained to him that it was kind of like waving to Jesus. That it was a symbol of lifting Him up, giving Him all glory and honor and acknowledging that it's ALL about Him. It is worshipping Him with reckless abandonment. The same is true for dancing before the Lord. Now I have never been known to break dance before the Lord or even do a Holy boogie, but when I am worshipping my Savior I just can't stand still. I get so excited! He gave His life for me! It is ALL because of Him that I am alive and blessed. It is ALL about Him. Knowing that, how could I possibly sing or even say His name with stirring something deep within. The very mention of His name brings comfort, joy, excitement and causes my soul to bubble over. We dance at wedding celebrations, we scream and do the wave at football games, we applaud and hold our arms up at concerts, we laugh and cry at movies and television programs, but we enter the presence of the Lord with very little excitement, emotion or acknowledgement. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ nothing should move us like the mention of His name. God has been impressing upon my heart more and more the meaning of the verse John 12:32 NIV "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." Jesus says that we are to lift Him up and He will draw all men unto Himself. He doesn't need out help drawing them. He alone is enough. We are to lift Him up, to proclaim His name, to worship Him and He will do the rest. "Lord Jesus, may we worship you with reckless abandonment. May we proclaim your name to all the nations and watch with great rejoicing as you draw all men unto yourself. You alone are worthy to be praised."