Column by Bro. Terry Ivy
“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;” (Psalm 30:11) Few things measure up to the moments in life when our hearts go from deep sorrow to extreme joy. The pendulum swing from dirge to dance is a wider distance than the North and South poles. In an early chapter of the Book of Acts, we see how a crippled man went into the Temple leaping and praising God after the Lord healed him. When Christ turns our situation from hopelessness to victory, no amount of cultural protocol can restrain us!
I am reminded of a true story that happened in Oxford, Mississippi. Larry, a fireman and an uneducated man, had an unflinching desire to write. He worked tirelessly at the craft until he became outstanding. Finally, his dream slowly began to become a reality. He knew he was meant to write. After minimal success, he wanted to give full time to writing. He decided to leave his job as a fireman and write. During this time, he wanted to build a house. However, a couple of bank executives frowned upon his endeavor and squashed his dream by denying him a loan.
After gaining more success, Larry and his wife were eating with a friend in a restaurant in Oxford. Larry had become very accomplished at writing and was garnering regional and national exposure, and the money was beginning to roll in. As the three of them ate and talked, two men dressed in fine suits and their wives came into the restaurant and sat down. Larry noticed that these were the men who made fun of him and denied the loan to build his house. Larry’s wife looked at him while he intently stared at the men and said, “Larry, leave them alone and just forget about it.”
However, as Larry remembered the pain and shame of their treatment of him, along with his present success, he was overtaken by the joy of victory. About that time, Chubby Checker’s song, “Let’s do the Twist” began to play in the restaurant. Larry stood up, walked over to the two well-dressed couples, and smiled. Then, with his cowboy boots placed upon the corner of one of their chairs, he stepped up onto their table and began slowly doing the twist. His boots were hitting their dishes of shrimp and grits as the whole restaurant paused to watch the event. A wide grin spread across Larry’s face, and his victory dance celebrated his reversal of fortune. His mourning had been turned into dancing!
Now, I am not suggesting jumping on the table at Outback Restaurant, but what I am saying is that when God reverses our plight of pain, there is a spring of joy that explodes in our hearts. And more importantly, when Christ returns for His bride, those who belong to him will have great joy. Regardless of the pain and sorrow we have in this life, we will dance and rejoice in the face of Satan and wicked men.
In Christ, we cannot lose! The enemy of our soul has been defeated at Calvary. Our victory awaits us. The promise of eternal life is guaranteed by the resurrection of Jesus. It is as sure as the rising of the Sun. Don’t miss the show! On that day, all believers from every generation will discover… A Time to Dance!
