CHRISTMAS DEVOS FOR DANCING HEARTS

 

Many of you reading this are ballet dancers, were dancers, or simply…love dance. But the more I learn about you all, the more I learn that many of you are not ballet dancers, were not dancers, or simply…aren’t really into dance…And that’s okay! In fact, I love the variety of sweet hearts we have here!

What I do know is that I love to encourage hearts to dance…hearts to be encouraged, hearts to be inspired, hearts to be hope-filled…as they learn to walk in step with our Savior. This Christmas season, I am going out on a limb…feels like a big, shaky one…but I’m going to step on it…or dance on it…with you and bring you 25 Christmas Devos for Dancing Hearts. I thought it would be fun to use some of my favorite corrections that I have either received from ballet teachers or have given to ballet students as topics for these devos. Each can be applicable to dancers or non-dancers. This Christmas season, I am praying that your heart dances as you take our Savior’s hand and let Him lead you in this dance of life. Praying for you, dancer or not, that this December your heart begins to dance as you soak in some precious jewels of truth and hope for your heart.

Here’s a summary of the devos we will dive into, each including a Bible verse and a prayer that I hope and pray will help you unwrap in a deeper way the sweet gift of our Savior this Christmas and the sweet truths He has for YOUR heart. I have also included Day One to kick us off. Enjoy!

 Day One: Stand Tall

Day Two: Deeper Plie

Day Three: Dance Big

Day Four: Hold Your Core

Day Five: Don’t Look Down

Day Six: Stretch

Day Seven: Warm-Up

Day Eight: Rest Well

Day Nine: Don’t Look Around

Day Ten: Wear Your Jewels

Day Eleven: Invite the Audience In

Day Twelve: Smile to the Back Row

Day Thirteen: Soak it All In

Day Fourteen: Pack Your Dance Bag

Day Fifteen: Dance with Confidence

Day Sixteen: Sink Into Your Character

Day Seventeen: Stay Focused

Day Eighteen: Pointe Your Toes

Day Nineteen: Stay Hydrated

Day Twenty: Use Hair Gel

Day Twenty-One: Enjoy the Moments

Day Twenty-Two: Give Your Heart

Day Twenty-Three: Trust Your Partner

Day Twenty-Four: Soak Your Feet

Day Twenty-Five: Secure Your Pointe Shoe Ribbons

DAY ONE: STAND TALL

“Listen, stay alert, stand tall in the faith, be courageous, and be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 (The Voice)

For a ballet dancer, posture is so important. When I was teaching ballet, “Stand tall!” would be one of the most common corrections that I would gently project across the room to the dancers. Something happens when a dancer stands taller…when they embrace who they are, how they look, and how they dance and stand a little taller. I always say that standing taller helps a dancer go from looking like a student to looking like a professional. It’s one of the simplest ways for a ballet dancer to take their technique to the next level.

Standing taller involves a physical action of engaging the muscles of the core, the back, the shoulders, and the neck to elongate the dancer’s body. It’s no easy feat. In fact, the dancer will probably feel sore muscles the next day after working hard at standing taller. It is so much easier to slouch, to let shoulders roll forward, and to let the muscles relax. Standing taller requires action for the muscles.

But standing taller is also a mindset…a perspective change for a dancer. Standing taller asks the dancer to believe they are good enough…to believe they have what it takes…to believe they are beautiful. And so for many dancers, myself included, it’s hard for a dancer to really take that in…and therefore, to stand taller.

May this Christmas season remind our hearts of all the reasons that we as God’s daughters can stand taller in our daily life. It’s so much easier to believe the world’s messages to our hearts: not good enough, not pretty enough, not successful enough, not smart enough, not….whatever is….enough. What is it for you?

Christmas invites us to stand taller in our hearts as we soak in the sweet truth that our Savior, who came as a baby, is ENOUGH and that because of Him we are ENOUGH. We can let go of trying to be enough, and instead take on His blessings of righteousness, of love, and His saving grace. Something happens when we stand a little taller in light of the truths we know about how our Savior sees us…our hearts dance and we reflect His light to a hurting world.

Intimacy with Jesus allows are hearts to stand taller because His love alone satisfies our hearts, restores our souls, and brings our hearts deep joy.

Today, dear daughter, know that you are loved by the God of the universe. Know today that He was thinking of you before He created the earth. Know today that He has a precious purpose for your life. Know today that He not only died on the cross for your salvation to spend eternity with Him…that would have been enough of a gift…but He also died so that He could have a precious relationship with you on earth. He died so that He could lead you through this dance of life.

Will you stand a little taller today in your heart as you soak in the jewels of being a chosen, adopted, and loved daughter of the King?

Prayer: “Precious Lord, thank You for reminding me of all the blessings of being Your daughter. Help me to stand taller in my heart as I soak in the truths that You make me enough…that You love me and always have and always will. Give me strength to keep this perspective of standing tall in my heart because of all of the righteousness, love, and grace You have showered down on me.”