Dancing with Peyton

Peyton adjusted the lacy green veil around her face and smiled up at me. Slowly she lifted the veil and began to dance, swaying to joyful music heard only in her imagination. Her eyes express a secret joy even though she is silent. Her free-spirited charm comes from living in a land where life is abundantly delightful.  Each day brings wondrous new things to love and consider.  Singing whatever song she likes even if the rest of the congregation is singing another choice, she thoughtfully studies the people around her. Does she wonder why we aren't freely dancing, too?

I want to dance to the joyful music heard only in my imagination, joyful music that beats in time with the praise of angels around the heavenly throne. I want to live in the land of a free spirit where life is abundant, overflowing with wondrous new things to love and consider. Oh, that I would live confidently in the land of the living with greater trust in the God who has conquered death and won my freedom!

As her mother and I visited after church Sunday, Peyton continued to dance and swirl, changing the position of the veil (read "Mommy's new scarf") to become skirt, hat and shawl. Dance. Change. Dance. Change. She never once paused in her dancing.

"Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sadness." ~Jeremiah 31:13