She looked at me so strangely I wondered what she could possibly be thinking. So I waited as she stared at me with full eyes, as if her whole soul were gathered right there looking out the “windows.”

Then she said,

“You know, one thing I can’t get over this whole weekend is that you are so full of the joy of the Lord.
It flows from you and is so evident. You don’t see that very often, and it’s a beautiful thing.”

Whatever I thought was coming, I never expected that!

True, I had sensed God’s undeniable presence – through the retreat talks, meeting women one-on-one, praying with the leadership team, singing, and creating and connecting around Jesus. And joy is what emerged since my heart was fully engaged. And Jesus was in me while I walked in freedom, doing my favorite thing in the world.

Necessary Reminders

I could not have known in that moment how much I would need a joy reminder all spring. Over the course of five weekends I would participate in four major events -- a schedule that reminded me of my Performance Driven Life days. And when summer mercifully arrived I’d barely have time to think, Let’s not do things that way again, before my body forced several weeks of rest and recovery on me.

But that joy? It was real. And it didn’t originate from me.

Heart Overflow

Has anyone ever commented on your heart overflow? Maybe they notice peace that flows out of you in chaotic situations. Or uncommon stamina that keeps you going when others can’t. Or gladness that bubbles up, in spite of “everything.” These are grace effects that originate from Jesus. Things that remind you you’re part of something bigger. Something grand.

The call to grace adventure with Jesus is not a call to be good or committed or “act right.” It’s an invitation to dance through life with Him. To learn from Him and try out the new “choreography” of His rhythms of grace. To find our hearts living and overflowing in new ways.

Since no one's an expert the instant they begin, we practice with Him. Some days the dance may awe others. Some days we might look halting and stilted.

We may not always exude joy. But we know it’s ours.
We won’t always feel free. But we know we are.
We won’t dance every movement perfectly. But we keep it up.

Because we are free. We are new. We are in Christ!

Learning the dance of grace means following His lead in the everyday spaces. It means trusting Him. And finding that this dance brings joy and freedom – the privilege of watching His constant, empowering presence overflow into what we think and say and do in the ordinariness of life.