Hip-Hop and Being Led by the Spirit

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

-Galatians 5:25


At first glance the title of this blog may throw some into confusion. But please give me a chance to explain. Today I met with my former roommate and dear friend Denine. She has choreographed a really awesome/energetic hip-hop dance to “Higher” by J-swift. She will be teaching it to the girls in GDM these next few weeks. We got together so she could teach it to me first.

There has always been this mental block when I try to have rhythm and/or be able to actually “dance to a beat”. It was not how I learned to dance growing up. In the secrecy of my room I like to dance to upbeat music but I feel foolish when I try to do it with people that know what they are doing.

But in all honesty I was hiding behind lies. Lies, that I couldn’t do it, that if it didn’t come natural to me, then I would never be able to dance in this way. Today when we were getting ready to dance, Denine asked if I was ready… I answered her with, “I’ve got to pray first.” The old fear and insecurities began to rise again. (I’ve tried to learn before but would quit after like 5 min.) After praying we got started. Denine is an Amazing Teacher and VERY PATIENT with me.  Ha-ha it really was quite comical at times as she was baffled that my body just didn’t move in certain ways (and I was really trying! )

We kept going and learning more steps. She pushed me past what I thought I could do. It was HARD, and there were a few times I walked down the hall trying to shake the insecurities off and then came back. At one point in our practice I said, “It just feels so unnatural to me…sigh.” And that is exactly what it was… “Unnatural”… but it can be learned and I really do want to learn and to push my body to dance in a new way and to not be so self conscious and to have FUN while I am dancing too!

After practice (2 ½ hours later!) I was walking down Lee street to pick up my car from the mechanic’s, and began thinking how “Walking in the Spirit” is similar to me learning hip-hop. It is so “Unnatural” to all of us to “Walk in the Spirit” and not in the flesh; to surrender ourselves to God’s will and to live for His glory and not our own. But it does not mean that it can not be done. We must learn to walk in the Spirit. We must PRACTICE. It does not come over night and we needn’t beat ourselves up when we mess up. We are to ask for forgiveness and to learn from our mistakes; acknowledging that it is Christ living in us that gives us the “rhythm” to be able to walk in the Spirit.

So I will continue to practice “Higher” this week, remembering that when it feels unnatural I can surrender it to my God and ask Him to help me, even in something as small as wanting to dance with more rhythm; remembering that He is the ultimate rhythm in my life and that I will always have more and more to learn about walking in the Spirit this side of heaven.