I have always loved dancing—with far more enthusiasm than talent, I might add! It was not something I did growing up, but as an adult I loved to give it a go. I was a devotee of a dance fitness class that was like Zumba on steroids.
They were running a dance competition, but I was struck down with a heavy cold, so I wavered about whether I would enter. But I felt a prompting in my spirit saying, ‘You have to go and hand in your entry’.
I thought, ‘Really? God, can that be you? Would the Holy Spirit really be prompting me to attend a dance class?’
So I went along, and … guess what? I won! It was not by any talent, but by pure luck … or pure blessing. The prize was tickets to a Stevie Wonder concert—and the whole experience felt like God was reaching down to bring me joy.
It was especially meaningful for me, because it was during a time of unanswered prayer in my life, and I often wondered whether I was forgotten by God. But, in this small—and let’s be honest, rather silly—moment, God was reassuring me that he sees me, and wants to bless me for who I am. And, that he even wants to have fun with me!
I reflected on this after reading the piece on page three by Jules Badger. God, in his infinite creativity, gives us moments of beauty—even within our grief. It’s not an answer to suffering, but it does allow us to feel God’s presence in every circumstance.
Ingrid Barratt
Editor
Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
Tiuteronomi 33.27
Ko te Atua ora tonu tōu nohoanga, ā kei raro ko ngā ringa o tua iho: ā i peia e ia te hoariri i tōu aroaro, i mea hoki, Whakangaromia.