Stepping Out!

Standing atop a stage in front of nearly 3,000 people next to Derek and Julianne Hough, two of the greatest ballroom dancers in America, was the last thing I expected when I woke up last Sunday morning.

I had the exceptional opportunity to attend Derek and Julianne Hough's live tour "Move" at the Durham Performing Arts Center with my grandma. As it was a special occasion, we both decided to dress up. My grandma wore an adorable black and white knee length dress, and I was dressed in a charcoal grey suit with a white french cuff shirt, cuff links, and baby blue bow tie.

As we walked in the door and were ushered to our seats, I quickly realized that we were far overdressed for the occasion. Most of the audience wore jeans... As we took our seats in the front row of the second section, we caught a few surprised glances from passers-by, but otherwise we sat in quiet expectation waiting for the show to begin.

The performance was incredible. The costumes, music, movement and lights created a truly memorable experience. About halfway through the performance, Julianne asked for male members of the audience to raise their hands if they would like to participate in the show. Now as many of you may know, I am not one that enjoys being the center of attention or "putting myself out there", and I initially had no intention of raising my hand. As Julianne and several of her back up dancers stepped out into the audience to grab volunteers, my grandma leans over and whispers, "Jordan, you HAVE to raise your hand".

The thought flashed through my mind, "Eh, why not?" as my hand seemed to raise itself. This thought was quickly chased away by the next, "What in the world did I just do!?" as one of the dancers named Nika walked over, took my hand, and pulled me to my feet.

The next instant I found myself being walked up onto the stage with Nika by my side and 3,000 peoples' eyes on me. As I glanced around, I noticed that two other unsuspecting gentlemen had also made it onto the stage ,waiting as I was, to see what would come next. I stood, suit jacket buttoned, hands clasped tightly behind my back, trying to absorb the moment.

Suddenly Nika leaned over and whispered, "Jordan, when Julianne comes over here and asks you to dance, just do something ok?" Yeah sure! I'm in a suit, on stage in front of 3,000 people and now I have to improv a dance for two ballroom greats!

Julianne walks over to the first gentlemen and asks him to dance. He responded with the very safe two step, made famous by Hitch. As I watched Julianne walk over to me I thought to myself,  here I am in this incredible and totally unforeseen moment, and I had two choices. I could hold back, shy away, and slip back into the background as soon as I could...or I could grab this moment with both hands and throw myself into it.

Standing beside me now, Julianne asks my name. As all these thoughts racing through my mind come to a head I respond, "Jordan".
"Well Jordan, are you ready to dance?"
I had made up my mind. "Absolutely!" I replied as I ripped off my suit jacket and threw it aside!
Nika and I ran toward the center of the stage. As she was freestyling, I kicked myself into an around-the-world.
One moment we were dancing together. The next we were racing up the stairs to a raised platform where we started doing the electric slide, and then shimmying, and then country two-stepping. After what was probably the longest, yet most exhilarating minute of my life, I helped Nika off the platform and bowed as the audience roared their approval.

Unbeknownst to me, this little dance off was being judged. Dazed I was informed that I had won the dance off as the other two gentlemen were ushered offstage.

I was pulled backstage by three of the back up dancers and was told that I was going to be asked back out momentarily and that I should have my camera ready...

As I heard my name echo from the stage, the dancers who were standing with me backstage pulled me up some stairs and out onto a platform raised about 20 feet above the stage looking down on the performers, and facing the entire DPAC audience. I was then asked to sit down on a chair which one of the girls had brought up. They slapped a cowboy hat on me and off they ran.

For the next several minutes I watched enraptured from my perch high atop the stage as the Hough's performed a rip-roaring country-themed routine. As the song faded out, Julianne ran up the stairs and plopped right into my lap and wrapped her arms around me!

So there I found myself, suit, bow tie, cowboy hat and all, with Julianne Hough in my lap, the lovely dancers of the tour at my back, and the camera flashes and applause from the audience in front of me. The next instant the stage faded into darkness.

My mind and my heart were racing trying to capture and savor everything that had just happened as I was ushered off the stage and back to my seat. Throughout the rest of the performance, intermission, as I was leaving after the show, and even in the parking garage I couldn't take more than a few steps without someone accosting me. I shook dozens of hands and posed for a number of pictures with new found fans. I was repeatedly asked if I was part of the act because seemingly my performance was that memorable.

I found myself at home in my room later that evening pondering this incredible turn of events. In a brief moment it was as if the Lord spoke to me and said, this never would have happened if you hadn't had the courage to STEP OUT.

In life I often find myself drifting through life. I give little thought to making an impact, shaking up the status quo, or rocking the boat. This experience showed me in a powerful way that our Father in Heaven WANTS to bless us! He loves us! But many times in order to experience His blessings we have to STEP OUT. Raise your hand, make the leap, ask the questions, or whatever else you're afraid to do. The Lord will meet you and bless you as you step out and allow yourself to be vulnerable.

I'm reminded of the passage in Scripture when Peter stepped out of the boat, out of his comfort zone towards his Savior. In that moment of stepping out the Lord met Peter in a very special and personal way. How is the Lord calling you to STEP OUT? The next time you step out in faith and courage you may find yourself in front of a crowd of 3,000 people as I did, or it may (and most likely will be) a completely different situation, but our Father WILL meet you in that moment and give you courage in ways you have never before dreamed.

I am so looking forward to hearing the testimonies of how God has met YOU as you stepped out in confidence! Please share your stories with me and others!

Masterpiece of Movement

As a professional dancer, I've often been asked how I am able to look so graceful with my partner on the dance floor.

"How do you look so effortless as you dance?"

 

"What's the secret to dancing with a partner?"

 

"Do you ever mess up a step?"

 

"My partner and I could never look like you."

 

 

As a ballroom instructor, I have had the opportunity to work with all kinds of different people: other professionals and instructors, children, seniors, teens, singles, married couples, and individuals with special needs...I have loved working with every single student!

 

But there is one kind of student I will never be able to teach....the student who always blames his or her partner.

 

During my years teaching, I have had an unfortunately high number of disgruntled couples who have come to me to learn how to dance. Most of them have had one thing in common...one partner will explain that he or she knows how to dance, but tells me I need to teach his or her partner how to keep up. At this point in the conversation I am always tempted to say, "Let me save you the time and the money right now and send you home because I won't be able to teach you anything."

 

This may seem harsh and unprofessional of me to say, but let me first explain my reasoning behind it. Ballroom dancing is an intimate partnership. Ballroom dancing requires a level of trust, understanding, and mutual respect that takes time and work to develop. If both partners are not willing to accept their role in the partnership and work to support and encourage one another they will never truly learn to dance together.

 

If you've ever closely watched a long-time ballroom couple dance you will notice something subtle, yet incredible. The partners respond to one another's slightest movement. A twist of the hips, a tilt of the head, a gentle pressing of the hand is all that's needed for them to know exactly what to do next.

 

There is only one way to reach that level of understanding with another person. You have to always be working towards a common goal. It becomes not what I can get from my partner, but how can I help my partner.

 

What can I do to be more sensitive to his or her touch?

 

How can I lead more effectively?

 

How can I follow more easily?

 

And always...how can I be more in sync with my partner?

 

When a couple is able to find that common goal together, and after years of dedicated practice, something amazing begins to happen....instead of two individuals dancing, they start to blend together. It becomes difficult to tell where one person ends and the other begins. They have become so in tune with one another that they have become a single flowing, ethereal masterpiece of movement.

 

Everyone loves the idea of finding that special person, and developing that depth of relationship and intimacy, but how do we capture such an elusive idea in the mundane routines of daily life?

 

(To be continued....)

 



A Car, a Bible, and a Lesson

I used to own a 2002 black Ford Taurus. It was a beast of a car. I had driven it through just about anything you can imagine. But of course, like all cars do, the Taurus would break down. When I first got the car, I knew how to put gas in it, and that was about the extent of my mechanical expertise. Years later, I am proud to say I'm certainly not a mechanic, but I now know my way around a car.

Two things helped me go from a newbie to a competent car owner; NECESSITY and the OWNER'S MANUAL.

I never really enjoyed working on cars, but when your car is not running, you don't have any money, and you have to get to work, preferences get thrown out the window. I learned how to fix my car because that was my only option.

In learning how to work on my old Taurus, the owner's manual became invaluable to me. I would study the diagrams, read and reread different sections, and hold the pictures in the manual up to see if they lined up with what the engine actually looked like. After many long hours of tinkering with the engine, I would get the car running smoothly...until of course, the next thing broke down, at which point it was time to go back to the manual.

Believe it or not there is a spiritual lesson here!

Oftentimes during my morning devotions I'll lay on the couch in my room, under my warm fuzzy blanket to read my Bible. One morning several weeks ago, as I was laying on my couch, under my warm fuzzy blanket, I went to open my Bible but then stopped...

As I lay there holding my Bible, looking at the cover, the Lord showed me, in a new way, the importance of what I held in my hands. For whatever reason, on that particular morning I realized that this Book was my OWNER'S MANUAL. Just as I had found every answer I needed on how to fix my car in the Taurus' owner's manual, every answer I would ever need to answer life's questions could be found in this book I held in my hands.

The magnitude of this understanding washed over me. Rather than opening it, I laid my Bible on my chest, wrapped my arms around it, and just began to thank God for this precious gift. I laid there for no less than 20 minutes, gratefully absorbed in this new understanding the Lord had unlocked for me.

Life is full of obstacles and pitfalls. It seems to break down and completely fall apart at times. I would imagine that many of you, as I have, found yourself in a place in life where there just didn't seem to be an answer to your situation. It is during these times of NECESSITY that the BIBLE takes on a much deeper role in our life than just a book of good advice and neat stories. It is in these times of NECESSITY that the BIBLE becomes our life line, our answer, our OWNER'S MANUAL.

I hope this story may inspire you to hold your situation, whatever it may be, up to the light of our divine owner's manual, and let the Lord guide you through His Word, and His Spirit to get your life up and running smoothly again.

John 1:1-4, 14 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that had been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Waiting...

Argentine tango is an illusive and mysterious dance. It defies traditional ballroom timing, frame, and footwork. Many dancers find it to be the most difficult style of ballroom to master. There are few established patterns and it is often danced in complete silence.

Perhaps the most beautiful nuance of the Argentine tango stems from the man's ability to vary the timing or frame at any point in a given step. However, this distinction makes the dance exceptionally difficult to dance well because of the lack of predetermined timing or patterns. To show the true heart of the tango requires a strong and trusting connection between partners.

One afternoon as I was working with one of my dance students, I experienced a moment in time that I will cherish for years to come. In an effort to convey the heart of the Argentine tango to her, I explained that if I could describe this dance in a single word I would use the word "waiting". The dancers can only create the smooth, silky grace of the Argentine tango if the woman has learned to wait. She must wait in calm preparation after each step, ready to step again in whichever direction her partner indicates.

In order to create this remarkable movement and connection each partner must first develop a deep sense of awareness. Even before the dancers move, they must find their awareness...awareness of their posture, their bodies, and their connection with one another. The woman must be able to sense her partner's slightest movement. Then, as her partner asks her to step, she must step deliberately, fully committing her body and her weight to the movement. After responding to her companion's movement by stepping, she must wait...not trying to anticipate the next step...but simply wait.



As I shared these ideas with my student I saw her eyes brighten. "So in order to create these smooth silky movements I have to give up control, stop anticipating, and just listen to what you're asking me to do?" she asked.

Yes!

Excitedly she asked, "Can we try it!" As I led her through several steps, I noticed her movement had drastically changed. Our steps were smooth and controlled; we moved together almost seamlessly. It was as if we were floating through each step. After several moments, I stopped and asked her what she thought of the new movement. She began to cry as she shared, "That was the most beautiful moment I have ever experienced!"

I quickly realized that we had stumbled upon something special. Rather than continuing with the lesson I had planned, I asked if she would like to continue with the tango. As I watched her tear-filled eyes, she simply nodded, "Yes". We spent the next 40 minutes dancing every Argentine tango step she knew over and over again. We didn't need to talk. We didn't need music. Everything around us faded as we were caught up in the movement.

As our lesson ended she took my hand, looked into my eyes, and whispered, "Thank you, that was life changing."

For days afterwards I pondered this experience. I realized that the same lesson I imparted to my student, is a lesson that the Lord wants to impart to us. As I reflected on my student initially moving through her steps with little thought, I realized that is how I often live my life, on autopilot.

Our Heavenly Father wants to have a passionate, intimate relationship with each one of us. The Argentine tango beautifully symbolizes this kind of relationship. But, as my student discovered in her tango, in order to follow His leading in life, we must find awareness. Awareness of the choices we make in our daily lives, awareness of our relationship with our Father, and we must learn the importance of waiting. We must learn how to wait for the Lord's divine leading. As we learn to move into these areas of awareness, we will find that our connection with the Lord becomes easier, becomes lighter, and becomes clearer. Whether this beautiful picture of relationship and connection is seen through the Argentine tango, or in your spiritual and emotional life, this connection moves us toward the beauty and intimacy that Adam and Eve enjoyed with the Father in the Garden and the intimacy that we will one day experience with our Father in Heaven.


Courage to Ask the Questions

Over the last several years I have been on a journey of discovery. Much like Christian from "Pilgrim's Progress", at times I have experienced moments of great success and excitement, while at other times I have felt overwhelmed to the point of tears. I have questioned many things that I had previously taken for granted, or considered obvious, and I have been strongly criticized for the questions I have asked.

It is a difficult thing to step outside the established ways of life of a group, community, work or church environment. We find it easy to sink into a rut or a routine and trudge along in the same paths our leaders, parents, pastors, bosses, and other authority figures have traversed. But what has happened to our sense of adventure, the spirit of discovery that has driven mankind to great accomplishments.

From the discovering of our country by Christopher Columbus, to Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon, tremendous feats have been accomplished by those who were not willing to settle for status quo. Does this sense of adventure and discovery not apply to our spiritual lives as well...?

As individuals and as a corporate body (aka the Church) I have felt myself and many people close to me have settled into a nice, comfortable, Christian routine. We go to church on Sunday, listen to a pleasant topical message, tithe our 10ish %, go to small group on Wednesdays or the Single's mixer on Friday night and call it done. At some point along the way, (I couldn't exactly tell you when it happened) I became enraptured with a simple question..."why?" Why do we do the things we do in Church today?

Why do we start our services with worship?

Why do we typically only have one person who teaches/preaches every Sunday?

Why do we stand for worship and sit during the preaching?

Why do we pray silently rather than out loud?

Why do we send the teenagers to Sunday school instead of staying in the "main" service?

Why do we raise or clap our hands during worship?

Why is communion so important?

 

 

These are just a very small sampling of the many, many questions I have been asking. As I have started exploring to find the answer to these questions I have found that some of them have strong Biblical reasoning backing up the practice, others I have found no Biblical substantiation for at all.

 

Now as a disclaimer, I am not suggesting a nihilistic approach of throwing out the established order and creating something entirely new. What I am hoping, is that you might take courage from my story and begin asking your own questions. Allow yourself to step outside the box, begin not only asking the questions, but looking for the answers.