In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. 1 Corinthians 11:11-12 (NIV)
I am having some trouble with our dance lessons. I like the other people in the class, and our instructor is a great communicator. We are laughing a lot, and even when we are so tired we are tempted not to go, we do because for the most part, we have fun. Not to mention that it is nice to be close to my husband and to spend time together. Those are not the problem. My problem is I am not used to letting my husband lead. Our teacher tells us that both partners have their role in the dance. Neither can be passive. The man should be assertive enough to direct the woman in the way she should move. The woman must be resistant enough for the man to be able to propel her, but pliant so that he can guide her. Both need to focus on their moves, keep their steps the same stride and in rhythm. When good partners dance together, it looks effortless because they work together as a team to make it so. I know all that, but out of habit, when we start to dance, I take the lead. I want to be the one to determine which steps will come next and fail to wait on my husband to set the pace. I lean in the direction that I think we should go around the dance floor rather than let him chose the turns. That makes us off balance and uncoordinated. Our feet get tangled up because I am trying to anticipate his next move. We manage to get along when we have only the basic step to do. For example, on the Foxtrot, I know it will be “step, step, quick together.” So, I can relax and quit struggling for control. But, when we complicate the issue by adding in turns, backing up and promenades, then, I want to be in charge. In our last class, we almost got into a quarrel, but didn’t want everyone to see us fight. So, we plastered smiles on our faces and struggled quietly around the dance floor. You won’t see us on “Dancing with the Stars,” anytime soon. More like “World Wide Wrestling.” In dance, just as in life, I need to remember that I am not independent of my husband, nor is he whole apart from me. God put the two of us together for a reason and we are both here for the same purpose to glorify Him and lead others to Christ. Even if sometimes I don’t think my husband is moving fast enough or in the direction I want him to go, it is important for me to realize that God is working in His life and to wait on God’s timing and direction. It is as if God is the music and we are to dance, together, as a team, to His leading. If He guides my husband, then can I do anything better than to relinquish control as well?
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