Do you wanna dance? Remember that question? Maybe as a young girl hoping to be asked? Or perhaps as a young guy trying to get up the nerve to ask it?

Watching this movie by that name made me smile as it  brought back many fun memories. In high school and as a young adult, I loved to dance. Many times my buddy, Bob Glass, and I jumped in the car right after school let out and headed for Hollywood to dance on the “Shebang” television show. On the “Rum Runner” in the Caribbean, I did the limbo. The Barbadians were shocked by how low I could go. Later, in the nightclub onboard a cruise ship, I’d dance to Proud Mary and Jeremiah was a Bullfrog 

To this day, if I could pick any profession I wanted, next to being a writer, I’d be a dancer–not by today’s standards but more like in those old classic movies. When feeling delighted, excited, or elated–well, sometimes you’ve just gotta dance!

Expressing Sheer Joy

Despite not having time to write a blog post this past couple of weeks, I’ve felt like doing a happy dance because I was finishing revisions on The Windblown Girl: A Memoir about Self, Sexuality, and Social Issues. Now a brilliant editor is doing one last proofread. Barring unforeseen circumstances that “Coming Soon” button on my website will soon change. As soon as design starts, that button will announce “Coming in October.” A couple of weeks later, I’ll be posting the cover.

All that makes me feel a little like David  when after a terrible delay, he recovered Israel’s intimate relationship with the Lord by bringing the ark back to Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 6:12-19 tells the whole story, but verses 14-15 show how happy its return made the man God described as being after His own heart:

And David was dancing before the Lord with all his strength, and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with joyful shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

However, while David danced for joy, his wife detested his behavior.

Considering Condemnation

Sometimes self-righteous people, like David’s wife, criticize behavior intended to honor and celebrate the Lord Almighty. 

Then it happened, as the ark of the Lord was coming into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she was contemptuous of him in her heart (2 Samuel 6:16).

For many years, such judgmental voices made me think being a Christ follower must be extremely boring. But the more I’ve studied God’s Word, the more freedom I’ve found to be me–the best me I can be even when that means dancing. Jesus knows and loves each one of us to the fullest, which is the story of The Windblown Girl. 

Despite all that (or perhaps because of it), there are times when we need to protect ourselves from circumstances that could rob us of our dignity. 

Avoiding Trouble

In the famous story of Esther, Queen Vashti refused to dance on command because she knew King Ahasuerus, her husband, wanted to exploit her. In Vindicating the Vixens: Revisitng Sexualized, Vilified, and Marginalized Women of the Bible edited by Sandra Glahn, Sharifa Stevens uses Genesis 1:4 to set the scene:

Xerxes [Ahasuerus] lived for his own pleasure; a walking, talking, wielding, threatening example of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The author of Esther is careful to describe in detail the sumptuousness of Xerxes’s palace, the excess of drinking, and the insane amount of splendor that took half a year to view (p. 239).

In her book, Lost Women of the Bible, Carolyn Custis James offers a glimpse of his wife’s predicament:

At the height of banqueting, an inebriated king summoned Queen Vashti to parade herself like a beauty pageant contestant before a roomful of drunken dignitaries as a fitting last course–a delicious feast for male eyes–for “she was lovely to look at” (Esther 1:11). As one scholar notes, “having shown off his wealth and his power, [Xerxes] now seeks to show off his wife, as if she is in the same category.” Xerxes’ command violated social decorum for any self-respecting Persian woman and hardly suited a queen.

Rather than be exploited in front of leering men who had been drinking for a week. Vashti refused the king’s request to maintain her self-respect. But that decision came at a heavy price. Ahasuerus gave her royal position to Esther.

Cultivating Dignity

Doing the right thing may cost us, but it also protects us from losing our self-respect as well as that of others. After deciding to follow Christ while a young single mom, I gave up going out dancing to stay home with my little boy. For me, going out to dance had become a way of meeting men, who did not share my values. Although I sacrificed dancing to become a better mom, that decision contributed to self-respect.

That’s the reason why I wouldn’t be a “dancer” today in music videos or even at raves. Expectations of near nudity and erotic expressions exploit women and objectifies them to please men. The price? Loss of respect from self and others. But that doesn’t necessarily mean no dancing allowed.

Celebrating A Vibrant Life

To launch my book, I’m already planning parties. Yes, more than one. A couple may involve dancing. At the very least, we’ll sway to the beat and tap our feet to steel drum melodies that enhance a “cruise ship” theme. Best of all, because I’ve chosen to follow Jesus I’ve gotten to live the thrilling and soul-satisfying adventures worthy of such fun festivities. That incredible goodness of God makes me feel like dancing. So, how about you? How are you celebrating life?

If you want to keep up with the inside scoop about the book launch, please use the form below to subscribe. In August, I’ll tell about forming a lanch team and how, if you’re interested, you can be part of it. That might just make you wanna dance, too!