WALL FLOWER


I hope you never lose your sense of wonder.
You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger.
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance, I hope you dance
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances, but they're worth taking
Loving might be a mistake but it's worth making

Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance, I hope you dance
I hope you dance I hope you dance
I hope you dance

Life is a wheel in constant motion
Always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
And wonder where those years have gone

Dance, I hope you dance
I hope you dance,I hope you dance
I hope you dance

The first time I heard “I hope you dance” I knew that was my song to myself…never knowing that years later, dancing would become a reality. Dancing was something I never liked to do. While girls in high school would cry if they didn’t make the dance teams, I never had the slightest desire to even try out. Give me the Long Jump pit or the High Jump and I was happy. Let me jump in the sawdust or land on a big bag of foam. I was far from being graceful.

Still, years later and my thoughts miles from the dance world, I named my Yorkshire Terrier “Tango”. It never crossed my mind that Tango would become one of my very favorite dances.

Divorce was worse than I expected and the loneliness that followed was almost unbearable. After constant encouragement or should I say harassment, my friend Janice finally succeeded in getting me to some dances. I was the perfect wall flower… “stuck up” against the wall and unlike most ladies, I did not want anybody to ask me to dance. I turned down everybody each and every time. “Oh I will teach you” they would say. “Oh I’m not ready”, I would reply. You would have thought they were asking me for sex.

I attended several Ballroom and Cajun dances and held my position as “wallflower” faithfully. Then suddenly and without warning I was forced into the dance world. Bart didn’t take no for an answer. I was horrified & stiff as a board when I realized I was standing up and being waltzed across the room. “It’s just walking,” he said. After a few strolls around the room, I was brought back to my seat were it took at least 15 minutes for my heart rate to return to normal. In reality, I haven’t been normal since. I forced myself to take dance lessons. I hated it, but stuck with it until I broke out of my small world. Now I have more friends than I have ever had in my life.

Dancing is an expression of emotions, something I was never allowed to show. Expressing opinions was also considered disrespectful. Taking one step at a time, I began to win back some of the self esteem that had been pretty well stripped. I learned that dancing and marriage are very similar. It’s hard for a woman to follow when the man won’t take the lead… if she has to lead it becomes a very frustrating and awkward dance. At the same time, when the man not overbearingly but gently takes the lead, and the woman follows, there is unity and a smoothness that flows.

Recently, I was given a CD by Laura Woodley. To my surprise there was a song called “Wall Flower” on it. It was a song of how the Holy Spirit chooses the rejected & overlooked ones just like at a dance… the Wall Flowers sitting around the room, just hoping someone would choose them…in His own kind of way the Holy Spirit asks… Shall we Dance?

In closing with the words to “Wall flower”…No I didn't write it, but I dedicate it to my Heavenly Father, who loves me and accepts me even when I mess up… and to my friend Janice, who took me in at a difficult time, persuading my stubborn self to dance… To my Pastors, who convinced me through the Word that I had worth… to JC, who convinced me it was ok to have fun… and to the countless men whose feet I have had the pleasure of stepping on.

Wall Flower

Holy Spirit... come into my memories
Take me in your arms
Fill my memories God,
Take me somewhere brand new

See the pieces there.
Someone spilled me out.
It’s a longing stare
Running from these doubts

Open me up again.
Like the skies of rain
Oh how I need you friend
In the way that you say…

Wall Flower come dance with me.
Left over, you’re just what I need.
Broken one you’ll be the queen of my heart.

It was April Love
When the words came right down
Shooting stars to touch
My face in a crowd.

Hoping for love again
Done with days of tears
Learning to trust again
Your Words in my ear.

Wall Flower come dance with me.
Left over, you’re just what I need.
Broken one you’ll be the queen of my heart.

You take me in your arms Father
You spin me around…You show me off
You spin me around til all my disappointments are gone.
You chose me.
I will be yours… all yours
I belong to you.

Wall Flower come dance with me.
Left over, you’re just what I need.
Broken one you’ll be the queen of my heart.