Leap of Faith

Ballet has been a part of my life since I was a little girl, dreaming of being a ballerina. Even now, as an adult, I still dance and take classes. There is something in the beauty and purity of ballet that always leads me back to the Creator.

Many times when stretching on the ballet barre, I’ve contemplated how flexibility is paramount to being a good dancer. It’s impossible to perform most ballet steps, from simple pliés to complicated leaps, without being willing to stretch further than is comfortable for me.

It’s the same way with God. So often we think our own ideas and dreams for our lives are best, yet, when we leave our comfort zones and give in to God, we find that His plan was the better one all along.

Few people when watching ballet realize the strenuous work that goes into each graceful movement. Sometimes when I pry my feet from my pointe shoes, I’m in so much pain that I wonder if it’s really worth it. But the answer is always yes, because most things done well require work.

The Bible seems to agree. James 1:3 NLT says, When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. If the Christian life wasn’t challenging, we’d break at the first test of faith.

No pun intended, but ballet is a leap of faith. Few dancers perform entirely alone, so it’s important to rely on your partner or team for timing and uniformity. Without that faith, dance would lack fluidity and you would have no one to rely on if something went wrong.

Faith is also the cornerstone of a relationship with God, yet so often we forget to rely on Him. Although He is the one leading our lives, we begin to treat our Christian walk as a solo venture, but it isn’t.

No matter what we face, whether it’s something that seems impossible or something we think we can handle, God is there every step of the way, ready to catch us when we lose our balance. The Christian life is a beautiful dance of faith, and to me, that’s something even more beautiful than ballet.

Copyright Abigail Shaffer. Used by permission.