You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. I’m about to burst with song; I can’t keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can’t thank you enough.
Psalm 30: 11-12 The Message
One college student posted the following tribute on social media
“Shout out to my Arabic teacher who looked at us yesterday and said, “I’m worried. You all look exhausted and depressed.”
We were all like, “Oh yeah, and we’re dead inside, you haven’t noticed?”
And he snapped shut the textbook, threw up his hands and said, “That’s not healthy! No more vocab! Time for dancing!”
And he taught us a dance from Iraq and we danced instead of doing vocab. We didn’t stop dancing until he saw all of us laughing and was satisfied that we were all feeling better. It was perhaps the coolest, most kind-hearted thing I’ve ever seen a college instructor do.”
Psalm 30 is a song about God’s redemption. The Psalmist King David is honest about the trials and suffering he has experienced, but he rejoices that God does not leave him there. He writes in verse 5, “The nights of crying give way to days of laughter.”
The Lord is so good to us. Sometimes, he uses friends to bring joy back into our lives. A recent widow shared with me about a couple of acquaintances who become friends to her after the death of her husband. She began to get together with them, playing games and visiting. Reflecting on her time with these new-found friends, she said, “They taught me how to laugh again.”
There will be times in life when we will lament and mourn. This is part of living. As we emerge from difficult trials and deep sadness, the Lord wants to usher us into a time when we can rejoice with Him. God wants us to dance with Him, and to praise Him for the blessings He provides for us.
The good news is that in the end, our mourning gives way to dancing. As the Psalmist puts it,
“God, you pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out.”
Hallelujah! Let’s dance!
Prayer
Lord of the Dance,
Thank you for always being with me, especially during times of despair. When I feel hopeless, I know that I can turn to you in prayer. I thank You, for You have turned my times of mourning and grieving into times of dancing and rejoicing. May I remember to always turn to You, the Lord of the Dance, when life gets me down. I know that You will lift me up. I pray this prayer in Your holy name. Amen.
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