Cookie Monster Can Dance!!!
One of Eli's therapist's goals is getting Eli to chew. He can chew his food but not very quickly or efficiently. She has shown us a lot of different activities we can be doing to help Eli with his munching skills.
A few evenings ago, after a long day, Eli and I were at Publix- our local grocery store. It was our last stop after many different destinations. It was nearly an hour past dinner time for Eli so I was trying to get everything done as fast as possible. Eli was doing so well- behaving great and being such a good sport. He didn't even seem to notice that his dinner was late.
I strolled by a girl who looked about two who was eating a cookie. I remembered that Publix gives away free cookies to children under 12 who are with their parents- I took advantage of that till I was like 18!!!
I threw all good parenting judgment out the window which as you can imagine was hard because there aren't even any windows in Publix- only big sliding glass doors. I pushed Eli in the cart up to the Bakery counter and asked for a big sugar cookie with colored sprinkles on top.
I think my eyes opened wider than Eli's at the sight of this delectable treat. I tore off a small piece and put it in Eli's mouth. He chewed it in record speed and opened for more! He ate 1/2 the cookie in about 2 minutes- one small piece at a time. I won't mention where the other half of the cookie went. :)
It was amazing to me to see how much faster Eli chewed with such enticing incentive. I am usually giving him things like broccoli and carrots and beans to chew- which I will certainly continue to do. But this sugar cookie was definitely something he wanted to chew through so he could have more.
I had fun enjoying this sweet moment with Eli and encouraging him with his chewing. We got home and he ate a great well-balanced dinner. So it seemed like giving him dessert before his dinner didn't ruin him afterall. Maybe that is about as factual as the whole waiting an hour before you can go swimming after you eat rule. I will not make a habit of giving Eli cookies before dinner but I think a treat every now and then is perfectly acceptable.
Through this whole experience I realized that Eli is my little cookie monster. He loves them. So, Saturday morning I thought it was only appropriate to show Eli who the original cookie monster is. We turned on PBS at 9:00 am. There he was with Elmo and Big Bird and all his other friends. It was a sunny day on Sesame Street and on Bentley Green Circle. This was the first time Eli had ever experienced Sesame Street. He was captivated by it. He enjoyed all the music so much that he started to get into it and began to dance.
Eli dances the same to every song no matter what genre and if it is fast or slow. I have been trying to teach him recently that we move slower to a slow song than a fast song. He has not seemed to understand that concept. But, when a beautiful slow song was sung by Ernie, Eli looked at me and began to sway ever so slowly and gently. It melted my heart. He is so sweet. He knew that was the best way to express the music through his body.
Later that evening my dancing cookie monster and I were shopping with my mom and sister at the mall. The store we were in began playing this funky dance music with really loud beats and rhythms. Eli was beside himself. He got so excited. If the straps weren't containing him in the stroller who knows what would have happened.
Eli Was moving every muscle in his body. Shaking his head, kicking his feet and he had both his arms, elbows locked, extended out in front of him moving to the music. He was loving every beat of it and really feeling it. We were laughing so hard- he was so adorable!
I find it amazing that dancing is such and innate natural instinct to hearing music. I wonder why God made us that way. No one ever taught Eli to dance or how to respond to music- he chose to do this on his own. He felt the need to express himself in this way.
I know there is so much freedom that comes from dancing. It is such a deep way to express ourselves that no other medium can compare to. It is so honoring to God- if it is performed with a heart seeking to honor Him.
I took a lot of dance classes in college. Dancing is a huge part of my life and who I am. I miss being able to dance like I used to and hope to have that opportunity again in my life.
There have been moments in my walk with God that I have simply needed to dance for Him and with Him. Nothing else was sufficient in expressing my emotion. Sometimes I would dance as a way of praying. Sometimes my dancing would overflow from a heart recently touched and filled to the brim with joy and love. Sometimes my dancing would simply be a way to worship God and offer myself- my whole self, to Him my creator as a small attempt to bless the One who blesses me so much everyday.
I want to dance as David danced. Unashamed and with abandonment- with all that I am. 2 Samuel 6:14, "David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly tunic."
Dancing is something God wants us to do. I know it is a strongly debated topic among many denominations but Psalm 149:3 seems to make God's thoughts about dancing quite clear to me. "Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with the tambourine and harp."
The next verse that follows this is interestingly amazing- vs. 4, "For the Lord takes great delight in His people; He crowns the humble with salvation."
I see this beautiful image of God taking great delight in us as we dance before Him. He must grin from ear to ear. Dancing is often humbling- I know for me I don't always stay on the beat and do every move perfectly- but that doesn't stop me. I keep trying. There is an abandonment to self consciousness present when we dance, especially when we are dancing for the Lord.
It is interesting to me that these two verses are next to each other, the command to dance before the Lord and the idea that He delights in that and blesses the humble, because it suggests that He does this as we dance before Him. I know He does it many other times and in other ways as well- but I see here a way God is honored and also blesses us through dancing.
I love that walking with God is a two way street- we both lavish love on each other and reciprocate that love. I know God's love is incomprehensibly greater and stronger but still we reciprocate that to Him even with our small feeble attempts because we have hearts set on Him and set on delighting Him.
I don't want to hold back any love worship or adoration of God. I certainly don't want my holding back to be because of my own insecurities and self consciousness. David didn't care what the other people around him were thinking- he worshipped the Lord in the only way he saw appropriate.
I find it odd that the same Christian can go to a wedding and dance the night away, then go to a football game and shout, clap and cheer for their favorite team and then come into church and show no emotion or action and not be moved. God has done so much more for us than any football team. He is worthy of our cheers more than the Gators, Seminoles, Jaguars or Bucks- or any other team for that matter. We should be willing to offer our whole bodies to Him as freely and openly as we do to so many other venues- like going out dancing and cheering at a game.
While reverence is always necessary it shouldn't be an excuse for watered down worship that never moves beyond our comfort zone. God is worth us moving beyond our comfort zones and out of our small boxes. Just realize how much God moved out of His comfort zone on the cross for us- there was absolutely nothing comfortable about that for Him- but He did it because He loves us.
He loves us!
He loves you!
He loves you so much that His body was broken for you- bruised, beaten, whipped- humiliated- all for you- because He loves you.
The body of Christ was broken for you...
The body of Christ was broken for you...
The body of Christ was broken for you...
posted by Kellie # 1:07 PM
