A Time to Dance

My son loves the show "Dancing With The Stars."  Every night he asks "Dancing on tonight mom?"  [He has done this since he was 18 months old, except back then it was "choo choo stars." (not sure how he got that but I always knew what he meant!)]  If it isn't Monday night, I have to tell him that it's not on and then let him know when it will be on.    He is usually bummed that it's not on but then goes on his merry way until the next day, when the cycle begins again.

Now, when it is Monday night, and we are watching the show, I get in a lot of exercise!  Every time a couple starts to dance, he looks at me and says "Time to dance. mom."  He then makes me get up off the couch and we dance and wiggle and laugh until the couple is done.  Then we sit down to rest.  This happens with every dancer until his bed time.  There are nights when I tell him "Mommy can't dance right now; I need to rest."  I find excuses to be lazy.

How often do we do this in our "real" life?  How often do we make excuses to not enjoy life?  To not dance.  This got me thinking of a Hilary Weeks song that is on a CD I got for Christmas.  It is called "Dancing in the Rain." 

Life can be hard.  We are all going through something hard.  In Ecclesiasties we read To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:....A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; (Ecclesiasties 3:1, 4)  I am really good at the mourning part.  I tend to dwell on my problems.  It is SO easy to get down and discouraged by the circumstances we find ourselves in.  A lot of us like to "live" in that place.  Okay, so maybe like is too strong of a word here, but we still live there.  When we are living in that place, we forget how to enjoy life.  Even when life is hard and you don't see the rainbow, you can't see the light on the horizon, we each need to take time to enjoy the moment.  We need to take time to dance.  There are a lot of things that are hard in my life.  But they are A LOT harder if I don't take the time to count my blessings; to enjoy the little things in life. 

Take a moment to breathe. Get up off the couch and dance.  There is always something beautiful and wonderful going on that you can celebrate.  The time to dance is now.  As the song beautifully put it: Let your dreams know you haven't forgotten them.

Spiritual Snapshot: Peace through Prayer

So, my 4 year old sometimes has scary monster dreams.  There would be times that this would require me to sleep in his bed with him so he would stay calm enough to sleep.  There was a time period where he seemed to have bad dreams every night.  I would lay with him and try to sleep.  Once I thought he was "out", I would try sneaking out of the bed to go back to my much more comfortable bed.  Inevitably though, he would immediately wake and scream that he was scared and needed me.  I can't tell you how many nights I spent sleeping next to him with his arm over me, ensuring I didn't leave.

One night I had had enough.  There must be something else I could do.  So we talked about what had scared him.  Then I said "Do you think Heavenly Father wants you to be scared?"  He replied that no, he wants us to be happy.  I then asked "Did you know Jesus can help you not be scared?"  He got an amazed look on his face.  I then asked him if we should pray that he won't be scared.  He looked at me with his innocent trusting eyes and said "Yes, let's pray." 

So we knelt down right there on his bed and I helped him say a prayer.  Immediately afterward he sighed, said he wasn't scared anymore and cuddled up with his "nees" (blankies--he has 2 he must have to be able to sleep) and went right to sleep. 

We talked about it the next day.  I asked him why he wasn't scared.  He said because Jesus would keep him safe and because we prayed.

Last night, he woke up crying because he had a ghost and a monster dream.  I went in and he said "Say a prayer, mom."  So I did.  He then gave me a hug and told me goodnight.  No prolonged crying...no needing to stay with him, etc.  Immediate peace.  Now this has happened more than once, but it hit me as I was doing my personal devotions this morning.  Do I let the peace of Christ in as fully as my son does?

Jesus tells us to become like little children and I can't help but think this is a VERY good example of that.  How often do we get scared?  How often do the uncertainties of life occupy our minds?  How often do we pray for peace during those instances and then feel like we don't receive it.  I would say that we actually could receive it, if we open our hearts to it.  As humans and as adults who are living in a busy, "wicked" world, we are jaded.  All of us have become pessimists to one degree or another.  I know that I overthink things way too much.  I will pray for peace, yet at the same time continue doing things that fuel my worry.  Do I really believe that He, who knows all that I am feeling and notices even the sparrow, will bring me peace?  YES!!!!!!!!!!  Then why don't I let him?  Why can't I be like my son and just feel...not overthink things...not over analyze things.  Just feel His warmth and His love as He wraps His arms around me.

Peace, especially peace through the atonement of Jesus Christ, is something that I am continually striving for.  After this experience with my son,  I realize that he is teaching me something.  I need to be more like him.  I need to have the faith of a child that it will come.  I need to believe so purely and innocently that Jesus will be there when I close my prayer.  I need to let Him in. 

Let us all strive to be more humble and teachable and childlike in our prayers and in our faith.  The Savior said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).  He promised us His peace!!  Miles taught me an amazing lesson last night...that the peace is there.  I just have to open my heart to feel it.