I had a long drive this weekend. Seven and a half hours in the car. I spent part of it picking out songs for my worship playlists, digging through Spotify looking for the perfect picks. I'm currently working on a “worship workout” list (find it here) and a search of upbeat praise songs brought forth an endless supply of options. As I scrolled through the list, I saw song by Montesanto called “Fiesta en el desierto”.
I don't speak Spanish (your girl only took Latin and a little bit of French), but I clicked on it. The only words my Midwesterner brain understood were “feista” and “desierto” which I was able to discern meant party and desert. I liked the music, so I added it to the list. Later I texted my friend Pricelis, a native Spanish speaker, to tell her about the song. “I don't know what the lyrics mean but I love it,” I said.
Then I Googled them.
In James one, verse two It is written to have joy When you go through various tests Because from there I will emerge victorious
You changed my lament for dance There is no more sadness, only praise
You changed my lament for dance There is no sadness anymore
I dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance In the process And I scream, scream, scream, scream, scream, scream I will not die I go round, round, round, round, round, round I am not ashamed There's a party, party, party, party, party Party in the desert
A therapist once told me an adage about families. 'm butchering it here but the gist is: “A child is secure in a home where her father dances.” This quote articulates a deep human truth: If you can still dance under the weight of responsibility, pain, difficulty, and trial, you have true joy. When children see their parents dancing and laughing, they know they are safe.
But I find it interesting it is the father whose dancing affects the family most. Perhaps because many people have angry, stressed-out, overwhelmed fathers, the picture of a father dancing is a picture of true security.
Zephaniah 3:17, TLV says: “ADONAI your God is in your midst - a mighty Savior! He will delight over you with joy. He will quiet you with his love. He will dance for joy over you with singing.”
The Father, dancing. Not dancing far-off, holding a party for others while we suffer alone. No! He is in our midst, dancing. And because of His confidence that all will be well, we are quieted by His love.
There is a season for lament, and I am in it. There is a process of grief, and we are there. I told my friends Lisa and Karen: my mind can hardly catch up to everything that occurred in the past few months. I find myself fearful of something worse to come. Who is going to die next? What are we going to lose?
But God is not waiting for the end of this season to dance over me. And God is not waiting for the end of your trial to rejoice over you.
The summer I turned twenty I worked as a wrangler for a camp outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. I fell in love with the desert that summer: the endless, shimmering landscape, the stucco walls, cacti and flowers. Everything about it was beautiful to me.
But at first glance, everything about it was also… dead. Compared to the Michigan forest in its brilliant green New Mexico is brown, flat and plain. But as I rode Luna, my mustang, over the trails that summer, I saw signs of life. The trees rose like church spires to the sky and streams rumbled over rocks in the mountains. Luna's hooves picked their way on narrow turns, winding over the red terrain, turning up horny toads and geckos.
There was life, if you looked for it.
You might be in a desert. Everything looks dead. But remember: God is dancing over you. I have lost two babies in six months. I've lost money, nearly lost my dog, and recently nearly lost the safety and innocence of my children.
But there is life, if I look for it.
God is confident that all be will because He works all things according to His purpose – even the sinful choices of mankind, the brokenness of a fallen world, and the grief of death. When we realize our Father is still dancing, we are assured of His safety; we are quieted by His love. No more “what ifs” and “who next”. There can be a fiesta en el desierto for us, my friends, because we choose to dance in the process – not when the pain is over.
New Products Coming Thursday!
This Thursday is our mini-launch of several NEW books and products that you will absolutely love. I am stoked about the selections and I think you will be too!
NEW from Verity Press:
Explore and Engage: Fundamental Mormon Beliefs by Jeremy Jenkins. If you have ever wondered how to compassionately, graciously share the gospel with members of the LDS/Mormon Church, this book is for you. Jeremy did an incredible job researching and writing this resource. It is not overwhelming in size or content, but will equip you to explore their theology and engage with them biblically!
NEW in Bible Study Tools:
Great is Thy Faithfulness Jotter Notebook: This adorable notebook is small, handheld, and high quality. It will fit perfectly in a purse for quick note taking at church or when out and about. It's also great for verse memory.
NEW in Verity Home:
Brownie Mix for Quick Hospitality: Our newest edition in the line up of Verity Home quick mixes, these brownies are easy to make, delicious, and perfect for drop-in visitors or easy hosting.
NEW in Faithful Kids:
Teach Me to Pray Cards Expanded Pack: We are relaunching the TMPC cards with double the amount of prompts, for the same affordable price!
Be sure to shop the launch Thursday through Saturday before items sell out!
This week I attended the TGCW Conference in Indianapolis with Hannah, our Director of Strategic Partnerships (above). We had the privilege of hearing Ann Voskamp speak on gratitude, during which she said: “When you have faith to thank God in the middle of the story, you have committed to Him the whole of the story.” So here are a few things I'm grateful for in the midst of this heavy season.
Time with friends & colleagues at TGCW: Due to the challenges of our past month (plus big things in Hannah's life too) we almost didn't make it to the conference. But I am so glad we did. I was deeply blessed to hear the messages of friends, mentors and colleagues who were speaking there, we got to connect with some of our own partners and meet ministry leaders in person that I've followed online for years. Blessing upon blessing.
Putting in my garden: Better late than never, I grabbed plants (skipped seeds this year) and put in a few beds. It's a smaller garden than I've done in the past, but it's more than I did last year (I took a year off). I forgot how much joy tending the soil gives my heart.
Camping with friends: Our last two camping trips were colored by grief. It's not how we planned it and has been difficult to process. But this week we get to camp with a family close to us, talk about the deepest things of the soul, and enjoy being in God's creation. Healing.
Being active: As part of the Love Paced Race program I am doing with Revelation Wellness I am walking at least 10,000 steps a day, sometimes more, as I work toward walking a half marathon this fall. This habit has been a blessing to my mental and physical health in this season. Wild that I had already started this habit before all of this occurred – God knew.
The Every Woman a Theologian team: Last team meeting as we shared prayer requests I was overwhelmed with gratitude for each member of the team. This ministry would not exist without their faithful labor, their insight, discernment, and Spirit-led hearts. They make serving the Lord an even greater joy.
1-3 John Online Study Starting July 1
If you registered for our summer study, be sure to download the Circle app and join the community at the link we emailed you last week! We will send you the reading PDF this week to guide your study time.
We are actively shipping out the spiral bound John studies this week as fast as we can. We had a bigger response to this study than anticipated! We have included portions of the ebook in the community group to get you started.
