As we all prepare for our performance seasons, it can be a challenge to come up with a name that will spark interest and be different, yet it has to ring a bell of familiarity. I decided to call our performance this year New Beginnings. I hesitated at first, because, well… isn’t being “new” the definition of “beginning”? Actually, no. Beginnings CAN be refreshed, renewed, or rebirthed. Creating something new out of something that has been used, scarred, battle worn, weary, or damaged is often even better than the original. The passion is still there, but now there is a new appreciation for the sacrifices that people make on your behalf. There is affirmation in your value, and you appreciate others’ value. Have you ever been to a yard sale? Or have you heard the expression, ”One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”? PLUS, no one can relate to perfection, but we ALL can relate to feeling worn out, obsolete, weary, or sometimes insignificant. However, when you have a new beginning, you don’t leave who you are behind, but you allow others to enter your world. You step a hesitant toe into unfamiliar territory; it’s a new perception of belonging.
Anyone who knows me at all is aware that my world has undergone a seismic shift this past year. With the passing of my husband, it’s easy to feel dismissed at the very least, or destroyed at the very worst. However, God never takes your passion away from your heart, even when the externals change. You have been placed in the world; the rest of the world has not been placed in you. It may take some time to reconnect the dots, but who you really are is still alive and well. My husband was devoted to helping me keep my dream in my heart, never letting another’s opinion shake my confidence.
It’s easy to let difficult circumstances cloud our vision and healthy development into who we are meant to be. We also have a choice; we can stay angry and resentful (that becomes a huge snowball), or we can decide to use those circumstances to urge us into looking out a different window; one that is clear and lets our passion, purpose, and vision shine brighter. THAT’S a new beginning.
Dancers will bemoan their “less than perfect bodies” or “unacceptable feet.” They will obsess over their unsatisfactory technique or abilities, and then they will decide to quit what they love based on someone else’s standards. How very sad. How destructive; what a horrible shame. No one’s opinions should be powerful enough in your life to allow them to pry your dream out of your heart.
Every morning, each of us is brand new. We have a clean, blank sheet of paper on which to write another chapter of our autobiography. No one else can come up with the plot, the direction, or even the punctuation. We can decide which characters will play a part or not.
So, pick up your pencil, have a good eraser handy, take advantage of the fact that “God’s mercies are new every morning,” and He’s giving you a new beginning. Base it on your passions, not someone else’s lofty but insignificant opinions. “Choose this day whom you will serve.” Will it be someone whose self-proclaimed importance has taken up way too much space in your decisions, or will it be to let God turn you into the person you long to be?
Every single day. Brand new.
Dance on.
Grace Notes 