Remembering The Dance
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“Suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.” Romans 5:3-4
Yes, they are always there, but it is living in hope. It is living forward. Judy lived in hope – the hope of her faith in Jesus is what sustained her in the disease. The hope of Heaven kept her eyes focused on the presence of Jesus. We do not dance alone in life. Jesus gives us His Spirit – the Holy Spirit to guide us in the dance of life. The Holy Spirit leads us, picks us up when we fall, and always encourages us to keep going. The Holy Spirit gives us the rhythm for life.
I felt the need to visit the cemetery where Pastor Judy Shook is buried. When I found the grave, a flood of memories filled my mind, and my heart felt a hug from heaven. It had been 20 years since I stood beside her grave and committed her body to its final resting place. The days had been many, but the feelings and connection were fresh and strong.
I knew Judy was singing and dancing in Heaven which filled me with joy. But the journey to Heaven had been difficult for her. Judy and I were on staff together at a large church. I was the youth minister, and Judy was the minister of pastoral care. We had a good working relationship. Then Judy began having health issues with her walking and then her speech. She was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Her only family was an elderly mother and a brother in Texas. She had nobody to walk with her in this terminal journey. God called me to walk beside her for the last fifteen months of her life and organize her care. I did not do it alone. I had an amazing group of true servants from the church who became the Body of Christ in action. I shared this journey in my book – The Final Dance of Life – Our Journey With Judy.
The dance image came from Lee Ann Womack’s song, I Hope You Dance. Judy was given a CD of this song on her last birthday on earth, and it was the hope she held onto through the next months of her journey home. Judy learned to “dance” in her disease. That is, she learned to live in joyful expectation, not just exist in life. She found ways to not focus on the disease, because she was more than the disease. She enjoyed the moments with whomever was present. Her eyes danced when her body stopped moving, and her joyful grin filled the room with hope.
Judy taught me and all who came in contact with her how to enjoy the dance of life. To dance means to be active and not just exist in life. To dance is to live life to the fullest and not just stand on the sidelines and stay in your fears. It is not letting the limitations we have stop us from living. It is being active in whatever way possible. To dance is to find the good and positive aspects of life. It is not allowing the negatives, the hurts, and the brokenness of life to be in control.
As I reflect on my time with Judy and what I learned from her through those fifteen months, I first give thanks to God for the privilege of serving. I am so grateful to God for calling me and humbled to have been a part of this sacred time. Through Judy, I experienced the intensity and the holiness of the journey of dying and grief. She taught me patience and how to listen and not try to fix but just be present. My journey with Judy was the foundation for my next calling and ministry in life – a Hospice chaplain and a Christian Counselor.
I believe God allows the paths of our lives to intersect with others because we need them to teach us, be our guide or signpost to direct us, or help us to develop our character. We need each experience and person to help us down the path of life and to live life to its fullest. That is, to truly dance.
I believe God nudged me to visit Judy’s final earthly resting place to remind me of my foundation and to challenge me in this next season of life to dance. Live life to the fullest even in the changes of life. Be grateful for the experiences and allow them to be your foundation into the next season of life.
I hope you dance!
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