On Saturday we held a women’s rally for the mothers, grandmothers, and young women of Ocean View. There were speakers, teachers, singers (even I got recruited to sing a bit), but to my utter delight there were also dancers.
On any given Wednesday afternoon, you can hear floating across the trash scattered lawns the laughs and giggles of our young girls as they practice dancing in the sanctuary. About 12 young ladies age 10-16 gather once a week to have fellowship and dance.
From a young age, I have had a love of dancing, moving in rhythms, creating art with just your body. It’s amazing. And when these young ladies broke into dance on Saturday in front of an audience of 100 or so of their neighbors, mothers, and sisters, my heart just leapt for joy…
But then I listened to the words of the song.
“Anoint my head, anoint my feet
Send your angels reigning down
Here on the battle ground
For your glory
Were taking territory
Fighting unseen enemies
Like never before
We’re Waging War ”
They jumped, they punched, they drew invisible swords in defiance. They stomped, they armored themselves, they smiled and leapt through the air. Their faces were stern as a battalion of soldiers. They were powerful. When they finished the audience stayed quiet, and the rally was bathed in silence. And then erupted into applause.
And I was sitting on the front row, completely sucker punched because it is so true. These young ladies have the entire world stacked against them. The economy, their skin color, their educations, drugs, alcohol, gangs, violence, sexual abuse, shattered home lives. Some of these girls don’t live with their parents at all, but are on an ever rotating schedule between aunts and uncles and cousins and grannies, depending on where there is a couch free for the night. They are literally in the battle every day, to fight and kick and scream their way out of this social and economic prison.
But I wish you could have seen their faces when the applause came. The sheer joy they had at dancing, and showing off what they could accomplish. They were absolutely beaming. And when I went to go find them after they had all rushed to the back of the sanctuary, they were laughing and saying how nervous they were. And how great it felt to hear the audience clapping. For a few minutes, just a few moments – they got to be young girls, innocent – beautiful and loved.
So this week, I would like to ask you to pray for them. For the girls in the dance troupe that never seem to be able to get ahead. For the set backs they face, and for the strength they somehow always seem to muster. For the beauty they bring to this place, and for their families to be restored.
I love all you guys, and thanks for keeping up with us in the View!
