I am broken. I am guilty. I am alone. False.
I recently competed with a dance routine to the song Truth About Me sung by Mandisa. It has been a journey as it usually is with a dance routine. So much time is spent on the steps and choreography. Then into really learning it and hopefully getting to a point where you can actually dance it. We did a few tricks in this routine so that added to this journey for me. I began thinking I didn’t want to do any tricks or lifts. I was pretty vocal about it but my teacher felt confident that we could do what he had planned. Honestly, I didn’t really trust him at first – which only made it more difficult and wasn’t his fault. It was more about not trusting my ability to do what I was supposed to do. We worked on each step and trick with great patience on his part. Truth – I want to get every step right the first time and sometimes don’t give myself enough time for the practice or work it takes to make something good or even great. I learned many lessons in this process. Here are few…
Lesson 1 –  I want to teach my girls that working hard for something is valuable. Find something you love to do and work at it. Put your time and energy into it and do your best. If you don’t get it right the first time keep trying and practicing and playing it out in your head until you can do it without thinking about. The family saying from Grandma Tippy is right – “A task once begun never leave it til it’s done, be it great or small, do it well or not at all.”
Lesson 2 – Be present on the current step. Truth –  I do not have a poker face. At All. As we rehearsed to perform for our studio, every time I missed a step or messed up I, of course, made terrible faces. More than once my teacher told me to “keep moving and pay attention to the step you are on and not the one you just missed. No one else knows the choreography except for us”. Another life lesson to teach my girls – keep moving and concentrate on the step you are on – you can’t change the past – when you make a mistake take note and try harder the next time.
Lesson 3 – You have worked hard – just dance it. You know it so stop thinking. “Just don’t think about it”. This phrase can haunt me. Truth – Not realizing it I can very easily overthink things. If I could do the first two lessons and not overthink it there would be less stress for sure.
Lesson 4 – Don’t believe the lies of the world that you are not worthy. God has created you in His image to glorify Him. He has given you gifts for this purpose. It is easy to beat yourself up and call it humility. Or live in fear that you are not good enough. This is a lie. True humility comes from knowing that you are loved by a Gracious God that thinks you are amazing and worthy of His love in spite of your selfishness and humility is worshipping Him with the gifts He has given you. Girls – “Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as unto the Lord”.
Why this song? I heard the song last fall as my niece was moving away. I loved the sound of it and especially the words and message. We had the opportunity to love Lacie and include her in our family for several years. It was very painful when she moved. My prayer for her was and is that she would know she is loved, forgiven and never alone. That she would see the world differently and live differently because of it. It is my prayer for all my girls – Natalie, Courtney, Anabel and Lacie.
Wouldn’t we all live differently if we saw ourselves loved, forgiven and in relationship with a mighty God that created us for His glory? Wouldn’t it change the way we see the world – enough to give ourselves away?
That’s why I chose to dance to this song. I love to dance. I do believe there is a way to worship with dance. It is an opportunity to express something beyond words. It is also a process that challenges and teaches me. It feels amazing to move and I truly love it. (Oh oops I already said that 😊) I am thankful and beyond blessed to have this opportunity. I want the people watching to be moved by a great God.
Truth – I am loved. I am forgiven. I am not alone.
Duffy Betterton
Co-Owner for Dance Dress Couture
Fellow Dancer and Mom
Just before my routine, I read this great article asking Who are you dancing for? I would love to hear from you.