From my journal – minimal editing.
My kids have been dancing lately, whenever some upbeat music comes on. It started at Chuck E Cheese’s when there was a blue scren and video system that would project the kids’s image onto the background. They were delighting in seeing themselves moving in response to the music and I was delighting in their delight. I grabbed out my phone and shot a video of them dancing because I felt like it meant something. It seemed special but I didn’t know why.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V6HhWU6x1M[/youtube]
Reading Patti Digh’s book Life is a Verb tonight made me realize what it was. They were dancing without judgment. Not even SELF judgement! How remarkable is that? Quite!
Freedom
Almost every grown-up I’ve ever met, when confronted with a video of themselves has one of a couple different responses: They begin apologizing or excusing away some supposed offense, usually involving skin or hair or voice or clothes. They begin analyzing mistakes and ways to improve and the need for better lighting or more high tech microphone.
OR they simply cringe as though in agony and beg you to make it stop. Turn it off. Don’t look, they say.
Not so with my children. At the end of song they crowded around the monitor pointing at themselves and shouting in shared glee. Why?
Because they are embracing the freedom that comes from a lack of judgment. Perhaps this is why Scriptures warns us, “Judge not lest ye be judged” because Christ came to set us free. Remember?
The comment in Patti’s book about how it’s impossible to judge someone else without also judging yourself is spot on. My kids danced in freedom because they weren’t judging eachother. They weren’t judging themselves. They weren’t focused on that…they were focused solely on the dance.
Safe in the Father’s Arms
Do you remember the freedom of perfect confidence that children have? The confidence that walked up to the Lord Himself during the middle of “an important sermon” because of a desire to be near the Lord.
The confidence that points at the reflection of your dancing self and says “There I am!” with total delight.
The confidence that lifts its arms to the Father for a hug, never doubting that comfort awaits.
Photo by Dawn Camp (I’m in the middle of the second row)
Dance before the Lord. Like no one’s judging – not even yourself.
When’s the last time you’ve done that? Why do we forget how?
This post has been added to the Live a Little Link-Up.
Love this Angela. Kids are so uninhibited, we could all take a page out of their books sometime, right? It’s so hard not to judge ourselves. We are our toughest critics, right? I know I am my own!
We should all dance a little more carefree and not worry about what anyone else thinks – thanks for the reminder and great post!
I love this post. I have ALWAYS been self conscious about dancing. I sat out of dances in high school. So sad. As an adult, I have forced myself to get out there. I do not have moves, but I love to dance. I have decided to just do it and have fun and WHO CARES what i look like or what anyone else thinks. This post is so spot on. Thanks for the reminder!
Go for it, Jo-Lynne!!
Well said! I teach group exercise classes and some people will avoid classes due to fear of judgment from others and/or themselves. I keep telling them to come on and enjoy the workout – everyone else is probably just concentrating and which way to move anyway. I also teach aerobics & yoga classes for kids and I love to see them smiling and laughing while exercising. It truly is a wonderful experience.
Dropping in from The Mothers. Although I’m not religious, I can *totally* relate to many of the points you’re making here. Great post!
I love this! Yes, we could all stand to learn a little from our children. I’m reminded of this daily when my child is listening to his storybook Bible on CD and asking me simple questions that I often overlook because adult life is too complicated to see the simplicity of the Gospel.
So inspiring
I loved loved loved this post!!!
I’m not shy but put me on a dance floor and I’m totally out of my element. I’m terrible! But I dance in the kitchen with my boys daily and I’m trying to teach them to not be so self conscious.
Great post. Reminds me of my sister Vidya who dances on the rooftops in Cambodia as she prays for that land. Oh to be like that child once more, just glad to be alive(:
What a great reminder. I really loved this.
Angela, I’m trying hard to refrain from doing exactly what you’ve written about addressing my shortcomings in video and audio. I love your reminder ’embrace the freedom that comes from lack of judgment.’ Thank you, my friend.
Oh, I love this! That picture at the end is totally priceless- we should all be as fearless and full of joy as our kiddos!
The pic at the end is my absolutely favorite ever.
This is so great, Angela. Someone sent me a video of me leading worship the other day and the first thing I thought was, “Ugh, I pushed flat on the loud parts.” What’s up with that? I was worshiping the Lord and now I have to ruin it with pride and vanity? I vowed to stop doing that any more. Thanks for writing this.
It’s so incredibly insidious isn’t it?