Written By: Erin Woodlief (BBY Coordinator)
As a 14 year old, stake dances were equally terrifying and exciting. Would Rhett, the Justin Timberlake look alike finally ask me to dance? Or would I be stuck with Jeff, the sweaty pre- pubescent short kid AGAIN? Was my dress cute enough? WHY did my acne start acting up today?? Jessica got asked to dance EVERY DANCE and I only got asked twice... is there something wrong with me?
I usually ended up having fun, but there were way too many stressful thoughts to really have a good time.
I remember one particular stake dance where that all changed. I was 16 and I don’t even know what switched, but I decided... I didn’t care. So what if I had a zit? So what if Jessica was dancing every slow dance? Bring on sweaty Jeff. None of it really mattered.
I went NUTS on the dance floor. I frolicked across the entire room, danced the tango with anyone willing, went in the middle of dance circles flailing my arms, and who knows what else. I was totally myself, however goofy I was and let me tell you, I made more friends than I ever had before. Strangely, the dance floor became a haven.
Fast forward about 15 years. Dance floors are STILL my jam, but there is one in particular that I love above any other...and it’s the BBY dance floor. It’s where I get to look you all in the eyes and see your light. It doesn’t even matter if you’re a good dancer or not. Your smiles and laughs as we do all kinds of crazy dancing just fill my soul, especially the finger/chicken dance. If you’ve been to BBY, you know the one.
We all know the scripture Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.” Pay attention to that first line, “Let YOUR light so shine.”
It doesn’t say “let Jessica’s light so shine” or “let a random influencer’s light so shine.”
God has blessed all of us with a light and the day we decide to let that light shine without caring about what anyone else thinks is when we can experience some real joy.
When I’m letting my light shine I feel similarly to how I feel on a dance floor. Totally myself, and totally free.
I now challenge each of you to go find whatever your “dance floor” is. If you don’t know what it is yet, God will help you figure that out and when you do, trust me when I say that you’ll have the BEST time.
Miss you all. I can’t wait to do the finger dance again real soon.
