Devotion: Dancing Feet

Luke 24:39
“Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

Matthew 28:9
“Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.”

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Happy belated Father’s Day! If you’re a father, how was this Father’s day special for you? How did you make this day special for your father?

For me, Father’s Day makes me reflect on my long journey of fatherhood. When my daughter, Annika, was younger, she absolutely loved the movie “Cinderella”. She would watch it three times a day if she could. Not only did she watch it, but she pretended to be Cinderella dancing at the ball with the prince. Sometimes Annika would ask me, “Dance with me, Daddy. You be the prince and I’ll be Cinderella.” So, we danced, we twirled in circles, swayed back and forth, and sometimes Annika stood on my feet so we moved together. As a dad, I get my feet stepped on a lot by people and animals. I don’t like having my feet stepped on, but when my little girl dances with me on my feet, nothing is sweeter.

Luke 24 reminds me of my daughter dancing on my feet. When Jesus appeared to his disciples alive, after his death, and he showed them his hands and feet. Jesus was proving he’s not a ghost. Jesus presence is real and powerful. Imagine Jesus speaking to you, “Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself.” Jesus’ footprints appear all around you. Jesus dances with resurrection life in your everyday life. The Lord of the dance dances to the beat of grace, the melody of love, and with the energy of hope. Jesus reaches out his hands; inviting you to step onto his feet and be swept away with the movement of his Spirit.

In Matthew 28, when the risen Christ appeared to his broken, fearful disciples days after his death, they took hold of his feet. Again, this reminds me of my daughter taking hold of my feet when we danced. Relationships are full of hard dance steps. So often in relationships, the dance steps are out of step, awkward, complicated, and uncertain. Balancing all the commitments and responsibilities of life feel like a hard dance. The dance floor is filled with different dances from work, family, church, health, sports, school, and community. Each one with its beat and dance pattern. Unfortunately, collisions happen on the dance floor of life.

We cannot depend on our own dancing ability. We might get dizzy or we might feel as if we’re a bad dancer. The truth is you were baptized to dance. Join our Heavenly Father on the dance floor of life. He is dancing to the beat of grace, the melody of love, and with the energy of hope. Our Heavenly Father is reaching out His hands to you, inviting you to dance with Him.

Give our Heavenly Father a Father’s Day present by stepping up on His feet and be swept away with the movement of His Spirit.

Written by Pastor Eric Bostrom