Don't mind me, I'm just dancing through

I've talked a bit about the strong family I'm a part of before, but there are times when they haven't felt so strong and have needed to lean on God to get them through. The past couple of years has been such a time for my mother's side of the family. We have buried 3 family members (well before their time), cancer has been battled, knee replacements have been removed and complications have lengthened re-replacing it, new ( and old) health problems have crept up and surprised us. We all are getting older and several of us are encountering the effects time and a life of hard work and play. Honestly, it seems one family member or another has needed extra prayer on any given day.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, the Cobb children and I put this together:

God is Like a Spot

By J.M. Cobb & children

This story is dedicated to the Extended Nafziger Family.

Always remember, God is calling “ Find ME, I‘m right here.“

You probably have heard that God is like a mighty rushing wind, a powerful river, an all knowing, all seeing mighty king and all sorts of other big impressive things. Well, I think God can be like a spot. Now, I understand  that sounds a little unusual, but I really do think God can be like a spot. So let me explain…

My explanation starts with Emma. Emma is a dancer and when she dances, she seems to float across the floor, her arms and legs moving just so with the music. She is a joy to watch dance not just because she is my daughter but because she enjoys dancing so much.  But Emma hasn’t always danced so easily…

When Emma first started learning to do turns in ballet, she had some problems. One night I got to watch Emma’s dance class. All the ballerinas were lined up and they were supposed to do fancy turns and leaps from one corner of the room to the other. When it was Emma’s turn, something went a bit wrong. Instead of heading to the opposite corner like she was supposed to, Emma started turning out of control towards the wrong corner where the sound system was. Emma’s teacher started calling to her. “Spot Emma!” “Find your spot” “Emma, find me.”  “Emma, FIND me!”  “EMMA FIND ME” and then Emma crashed right into that sound system…

That evening on the way home, I asked Emma about what happened and she explained what a “spot” was. You see when dancers do those difficult turns they pick a “spot” on the wall to look at. It’s the last thing they look at as they turn around and the first thing they look for when they come back around and it is very important…

You see, a spot keeps dancers on the right path, out of trouble, away from danger, and from falling down.

A spot also helps dancers move so beautifully, gliding across the floor effortlessly, dancing with the music, and sharing their joy.

To me that seems just like God.  Sometimes, life seems to spin me around and I’m not sure quite where I’m headed…

And then I hear God’s voice calling “Find me, I’m right here."

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:6-7