Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.—JEREMIAH 31:13 (NIV)
Nearly every evening one summer, I watched a frail 80-something woman guide her husband to the edge of
the pool at the recreation center. She helped him grab the bar leading down to the water, and then parked his walker close by.
I often thought of how much energy it must take to get her husband ready for the pool: swimsuit, appropriate shoes, sunscreen and then getting the walker in and out of the car.
But it was the dance that impressed me the most. With music playing over a loud speaker, this couple lovingly held each other and glided through the water to the beat. I realized that while they couldn’t dance on a hard surface, the buoyancy of the water still gave them a chance to enjoy dancing.
I asked God, “Could I be that loving as a caregiver?” Would God give the strength I’d need to keep a romantic relationship going long into my elder years?
Lord, help us dance though life, enjoying whatever opportunities you present to us to live to the fullest.
So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.—Genesis 1:21 (NIV)
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.—Colossians 3:23 (ESV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.—Romans 12:2 (ESV)
