When the Music Stops Keep Dancing

 I subscribe to the truth that God is always speaking. The more important question is whether I am listening for His voice and tuning in to what He wants to communicate to me.

This past weekend, my wife and I had the opportunity to attend the annual dance recital featuring our three granddaughters and celebrating their accomplishments.

The program consisted of multiple classes at various age levels performing their routines to the applause and encouragement of loved ones and friends.

There are always comical moments, like when the little ones (think 3- and 4-year-olds) perform to the beat of their own drum, wave enthusiastically to the audience, or wander around the stage completely unaware that they are no longer following the choreography.

There are also elegant moments when older students perform with precise timing and graceful movements that testify to their hard work and years of training.

Then there are moments that take your breath away.

These are the unexpected moments when we individually and collectively experience the “wow” factor. Such was the case during this weekend’s recital.

What made the moment especially meaningful to me was that two of our granddaughters, Naomi and Abi, were part of the worship dance and directly experienced what transpired.

About eight songs into the program, the Worship Dance team performed a piece to a song called I’ll Sing for You. Everything was going as planned until about a minute into the performance when the music suddenly stopped.

In that instant, the dancers (girls between the ages of 11 and 14) had a decision to make. It had to be made immediately, flawlessly, and in complete unspoken unity.

Do we stop dancing or do we continue the routine by listening to the silent music inside of us?

With complete synchronization, they kept dancing to the unheard music, listening only to what was within them and continuing with precision the movements they had practiced so many times before.

According to a subsequent Facebook post from the dance studio, “The moment where they kept dancing in silent worship became the most powerful and talked about moment of the entire recital.”

I could not agree more.

As I witnessed what transpired, tears streamed down my face. Not only was it deeply moving to watch, but in that moment I also sensed the Father’s still, small voice asking me a question:

“Have there been times in your life when the music stopped and you were faced with the choice of quitting or continuing forward to the cadence of My inner song?”

In the spirit of transparency, I can honestly say there have been moments when the music stopped and so did I.

There have also been other times when, although stumbling at first, I kept moving forward, learning to dance once again to the music of the inner song.

What about you?

Perhaps the music stopped when you lost your job, when your health declined, or when a relationship came to an end. Life is messy, and all of us will face difficult moments that threaten to silence the music we once danced to so freely.

My encouragement to you is this: the music will stop at one point or another. That is simply a fact of life.

The question is, what will you do when it happens?

Will you stop dancing, or will you continue your routine by listening to the silent music inside of you?

I pray that when those moments come, you will continue dancing to the rhythm of the inner music and keep moving forward with courage, faith, and perseverance.

When the music stops, keep dancing.

May these be the words you hear Holy Spirit speak to you:

“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21 NKJV)