Ballerina

Read Psalm 121:1-8

When television coverage of the Winter Olympics brought visions of twirling, whirling ice skaters into our home, we had two diminutive skaters in our living room.  Spin after spin catapulted them into tangled heaps of arms and legs on the floor.  Finally, my five-year-old asked in exasperation, "Mommy, how do they spin so fast?"

 I tried to explain a technique learned many years ago when I was the ballerina-to-be the technique of spotting.  Start by focusing your sight on a fixed spot and with each rapid turn of the head, return your gaze to the same place.  No dramatic improvement resulted from my little ballerina's initial efforts as she began trying this technique.  Spotting does not come naturally at any age.  She and her sister continued to look like they were playing a musical game of Twister, ending in the same heap on the floor.  But slowly, ever so slowly, spotting took effect.  Her turns were more controlled, she retained her balance and before long she was trying to explain spotting to her little sister.

Spotting takes practice, but it works.  And it's no different for grownups.  On what do we set our sights? Are we spotting on career moves, relationships, things? What occupies our minds as we wake in the morning or creeps in unsolicited to our thought as we close our eyes at the end of the day?  Our uninvited thoughts and recurring worries are probably a good indicator of what we're using to spot.

The psalmist wrote, "I lift up my eyes..." (v1). He knew about about, even if he didn't call it that.  He knew where to set his sights.  Only one thing is worthy of our practiced focus, and only one thing will enable us to maintain balance.  When my head is spinning and my world is turning too fast, I can spot on the One whose power is greater than mine, One who never loses His balance. (Debra Klingsporn)

*this was from my devotion time this morning

God gave us talents to glorify Him. 

"He gives and takes away"...

This morning, I was told how good I was having my talents in dancing and singing.

My response: It's all because of God!

I always love to share how God molded me and my talents. It’s not for the purpose of bragging but to share God’s goodness and faithfulness in my life.

During my elementary days, singing was my first love.  I love to sing in the class and my classmates would always point at me whenever our teacher would ask "Who would like to sing in front?" From then on, I told myself that I will join our school's glee club when I reach high school.

I submitted my one-fourth sheet of paper with my name, section on it to our Music teacher who happened to be the choir master of the glee club.  I was too confident that I would be in! (I was the first to submit the paper)

To my surprise, I didn't.

Then I stopped loving singing.

My high school year was fun. It was the year that I learned how to love dancing. I was known as a dancer that time (not a glee club member). It was the year that I couldn’t stop my passion for dancing until I enter college.

I was able to finish my studies without shelling out money because of dancing.

I have been to different places in and out of the country because of dancing.

I was known in the university/college because of dancing.

My mom was very proud of me because of dancing.

Those were the days when I only spot on myself, my skills and ambitions.

“Let them praise His name with dancing” – Psalm 149:3

Now it’s different story…

I now realized how the Lord worked in my life during those years. That it was Him who prepared me well. Though I experienced many challenges and struggles, the Lord didn’t leave me.

I now dance for Him.

I now use my talents to minister others and to glorify His name.

I don’t need lots of audience to watch me dance – for I know God is my greatest Fan! I don’t need to hear people clap, I know God and the angels are doing it.

And the sweetest part of my story is this,

God brought me back to my first love – singing.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord” –Psalm 150:6

I know it was God’s plan to call me in the music ministry. It was Him who prepared me and my heart to sing songs for Him. It was Him who called me to serve Him, to praise and worship Him.

God’s plans are better than mine.

It was His grace that I turn my spot on Him.

(12-20-12)