Swing Dancing with Jesus.

Last night, I experienced swing dancing for the first time in my life.  It was so amazing.  The feeling of not having to be in control and letting another person lead me was so refreshing.  It was so good.

For someone like me, who always feels the need to be in control of everything, it was very difficult to relax and let another lead.  But I did.  I learned how to trust my brothers and sisters.

And it taught me a lot about Jesus, too.

See, being in a relationship with Jesus is a lot like swing dancing.  You have to let your partner lead.  You have to trust him to do so.  But you also have to dance along with him.  You can't just stand there and let him do all of the work.  You need to follow his movements, but let him control yours.

At one part of the night, I was dancing with a very experienced brother in Christ.  Me, being very inexperienced, had to relax and trust him to be in control.  I let him control the spins and guide my movements.  He would spin me three times one direction and then with a simple touch on my back, he would spin me the other way.

With Jesus, we can be spinning one direction and then all of a sudden, he can touch us and spin us the other way.  He's the master.  Focus must remain on him.  On letting him lead.  On trusting him.

And if we trust him and let him lead, then we will have a beautiful dance and a beautiful life that glorifies our Father.

I Will Trust.

Trust.
1a : to place confidence : depend
  b : to be confident : hope
2a : to commit or place in one's care or keeping : entrust
  b : to permit to stay or go or to do something without fear or misgiving
3a : to rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of : believe 
  b : to place confidence in : rely on 
  c : to hope or expect confidently 

SYNONYMS
certainty, belief, faith, assurance, confidence, imply a feeling of security, instinctive unquestioning belief in and reliance upon something, conscious trust because of good reasons, definite evidence, or past experience, to have confidence in the outcome of events, absolute confidence and certainty: to feel an assurance of victory

Trust is hard, especially when something is completely out of your hands.  Especially when it's important to you.  And especially when you doubt.

Yesterday, I submitted my application to work on summer staff.  And I was feeling pretty good about it until today.  I'm not really sure what happened, but I suddenly had an anxiety attack. 'What if I don't get hired back?  What if my emotional-ness last summer is going to stop me from returning?  What if I can't go back to my "home?"'

What if, what if, what if...

What ifs are irrelevant.  It isn't in my control anymore.  It's in God's hands, and I'm pretty sure that He knows what He's doing better than I do.  Look at His promises:

Jeremiah 29: 11
' "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord.  "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future." '

Romans 8: 28
'We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.'

He's totally got this.  He has plans for me!  Does this include summer staff this summer?  I don't know.  But He does. Therefore, I can put my trust solely in the Lord and in His love.  Because He will work all things for good and He will put me where I am supposed to be this summer.  It could be camp, but it could not be camp.  Whatever it is, it is for the glory of God.

Nothing I have is my own.
My talents, my strength, my love... it's all His.
And it's all for His glory.

So I WILL trust in Jesus.  

I refuse to worry.  

I refuse to ask 'What if?' 

I will trust. 

Proverbs 3: 5-6

'Trust in the Lord will all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.'