(He's a good kid, I just found this really funny)
You know those things you do that you do for this reason, but then at the end you found out that that reason was dumb but then you found a new reason to do it? Whether or not you actually do that, it's what my weekend ended up emulating.
About 2-3 months ago I signed up for an event called Restoration through the Wesley Foundation here at UGA (RIP UGA VIII, I hardly knew ya). The event aims to restore (get it?!) dance to its roots as a form of worship for God, rather than what many people use an excuse to practice baby-making in public places.I went to the show last year and loved it, so of course I signed up this year.
I signed up for the event with the express intentions of meeting some people and learning dance moves to use the next time I'm in a dance circle. Both of those things DID happen. Trust me, I would own you in dancing (at least in a 2-minute-song dance competition) and I met some of Athen's most ballinest, friendliest, dancinest people. My intentions were met, but for some reason I didn't feel quite like I had accomplished much. Nothing went wrong. I didn't bust it on stage, I didn't forget any cues, and I didn't break up with my girlfriend (you NEED one to do that! HAHAHA... D': ). I just felt...well, tired.
There came a point after our first performance when we were asked to spread out around the theatre to pray for the up-coming second performance. I kind of, maybe, slightly, perhaps rolled my eyes at this because I was butt-tired from only getting 5 hours of sleep and because prayer through the Wesley Foundation usually requires you to clear your schedule for an hour (totes NOT a bad thing, I'm just saying they are very thorough prayers). Nevertheless, I humored the leaders and found a spot to pray in. And by "found a spot to pray in" I mean that I stayed in the same spot and just lay down.
Whilst I layeth on the groundeth of the theatre-eth, I found it very super uncomfortable, so I sat up and began to creep on my unsuspecting pray-pals peppered throughout the ginormous room. Some of them were sitting in seats, some were dancing, some were even walking around blessing curtains and people. To anyone who had never heard of prayer before I'm sure these would've have been wildly disturbing activities. However, as I gazed about at my peers, it dawned on me why so many of them were still so hyped up both physically and spiritually whereas I was struggling to keep my eyes open. It was because they had signed up for God, whereas I had only signed up for the chance to send out some friend requests and dress like a hipster on stage.
It wasn't the length of the dance that had tired me out, it was my motivation giving way. I had come to perform for the wrong reasons and it showed in my dumb tiredness. The reason almost everyone else was able to keep going was because they had invested in an eternal energy source. I had only performed once and my dance batteries were already dead. (Dance- 1, Fake hipster-0.)
I'd like to make it known that after this realization, I was still tired. However for the next performance I made sure I was going out for the right reasons. THE reason. I wanted it known that all of the footwork and the C-walkin that I did up there was for Him, that the moves and the joy I presented out on the stage would be Him through me. God answered my prayers with what I feel like was a stellar performance from everyone (btdubs, I'm proud of the Move group! HOW YA DURN?!) I even had the energy to run up 4 stories of stairs to watch the rest of the performances, which by the way were come of the sweetest things I've ever seen.
My point for this post is to make it known that this life is way too short to live in a groggy haze. Unfortunately that's kinda how you live life when you have the wrong or no motivation. So I suggest what better motivation than the eternal?
Just like dancing in a three minute song as part of a 2 hour show, so is your life to eternity (but to an even greater degree). This does not leave us much time to act. Your motivation for being will influence your thoughts and actions very strongly. In everything that you do, remember what you are doing it for. Ask yourself constantly what your motivation is. Find joy in the fact that you are God's unique creation, and there is nothing anyone can do to snatch you away from Him. Dance your heart out.
In the eternal scheme of things your life is nothing but a drop in the ocean, so every last second should be devoted to and motivated by the one who invented eternity. We have roughly 80 years to make some noise, so make sure that it is LOUD and make sure that it is JOYFUL!
In memory of this memory, I have retitled my blog "A Joyful Noise," in order to remind myself what this life should be. I pray God grants me His words to convey that same joy to you.
There came a point after our first performance when we were asked to spread out around the theatre to pray for the up-coming second performance. I kind of, maybe, slightly, perhaps rolled my eyes at this because I was butt-tired from only getting 5 hours of sleep and because prayer through the Wesley Foundation usually requires you to clear your schedule for an hour (totes NOT a bad thing, I'm just saying they are very thorough prayers). Nevertheless, I humored the leaders and found a spot to pray in. And by "found a spot to pray in" I mean that I stayed in the same spot and just lay down.
Whilst I layeth on the groundeth of the theatre-eth, I found it very super uncomfortable, so I sat up and began to creep on my unsuspecting pray-pals peppered throughout the ginormous room. Some of them were sitting in seats, some were dancing, some were even walking around blessing curtains and people. To anyone who had never heard of prayer before I'm sure these would've have been wildly disturbing activities. However, as I gazed about at my peers, it dawned on me why so many of them were still so hyped up both physically and spiritually whereas I was struggling to keep my eyes open. It was because they had signed up for God, whereas I had only signed up for the chance to send out some friend requests and dress like a hipster on stage.
It wasn't the length of the dance that had tired me out, it was my motivation giving way. I had come to perform for the wrong reasons and it showed in my dumb tiredness. The reason almost everyone else was able to keep going was because they had invested in an eternal energy source. I had only performed once and my dance batteries were already dead. (Dance- 1, Fake hipster-0.)
I'd like to make it known that after this realization, I was still tired. However for the next performance I made sure I was going out for the right reasons. THE reason. I wanted it known that all of the footwork and the C-walkin that I did up there was for Him, that the moves and the joy I presented out on the stage would be Him through me. God answered my prayers with what I feel like was a stellar performance from everyone (btdubs, I'm proud of the Move group! HOW YA DURN?!) I even had the energy to run up 4 stories of stairs to watch the rest of the performances, which by the way were come of the sweetest things I've ever seen.
My point for this post is to make it known that this life is way too short to live in a groggy haze. Unfortunately that's kinda how you live life when you have the wrong or no motivation. So I suggest what better motivation than the eternal?
Just like dancing in a three minute song as part of a 2 hour show, so is your life to eternity (but to an even greater degree). This does not leave us much time to act. Your motivation for being will influence your thoughts and actions very strongly. In everything that you do, remember what you are doing it for. Ask yourself constantly what your motivation is. Find joy in the fact that you are God's unique creation, and there is nothing anyone can do to snatch you away from Him. Dance your heart out.
In the eternal scheme of things your life is nothing but a drop in the ocean, so every last second should be devoted to and motivated by the one who invented eternity. We have roughly 80 years to make some noise, so make sure that it is LOUD and make sure that it is JOYFUL!
In memory of this memory, I have retitled my blog "A Joyful Noise," in order to remind myself what this life should be. I pray God grants me His words to convey that same joy to you.
" Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever
his faithfulness continues through all generations."
- Psalm 100
5 comments:
This was awesome! I loved reading about your thoughts behind your actions. You are absolutely right about doing things for the RIGHT REASON and it being a huge motivator. Youre awesome. And SWEET background.
Bob this is so great! Amen to everything you said. I think this one is my new favorite blog entry!
Wonderful article Bob! You are so right about how the right motives for your actions can make a world of difference! I'm kind of wary of the idea of dancing in front of hundreds of people on stage, but If I do restoration next year I will definitely heed your words of advice and make sure my heart is fully in it! You're the man!
HOW YA DURN?!! Sweet new article big guy. I totally agree with everything. Speak truth!
Bob,
This blog was awesome! It was very well said, and I think it is something that we all need to be reminded of often. If I do restoration next year, I want to be doing it for the right reasons. You're awesome!
Hayley
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