ENJOY life!

I finally did it!

Back story – We live near the village square.  There is a huge cement area where the community gathers every night.  The area is filled with kids and grownups alike.  Some gather to sit and talk, some walk the perimeter for exercise, some play badminton and then there are the dancers.  That’s where this blog comes in.  There are usually 3 sets of dancers in different areas with different music (it’s a pretty loud gathering!).  There are the couples dancing in synch with one another.  There are the uniformed ladies who usually take the center area and get the most attention.  And then there is the other group.  This group is made up of mostly older women who intently watch the leader and follow the steps.  THIS is the group I have been wanting to join since I discovered them.  They don’t seem to care who is watching or even if they get it right (there is so much beauty in that!), they just get out there and seem to have a great time.

I have been working up the nerve to join them for 7 months.  Seriously, I promised myself that before we leave I would go out there at least once even if it was the last thing I did before getting on a plane.  To some people, this may not be that big of a deal.  To me, this was a major step of overcoming fear of others’ opinions.  I could barely follow along and I’m sure I looked ridiculous (I’m a bit noticeable as there are only about 7 foreigners who live in the whole area of the village and I’m about 4 inches taller than most of the other women).  And you know what, I had a blast!

Over and over again since we arrived we have been reminded to ENJOY the life we have been given.  It is truly a gift.  So, I finally obeyed.  It’s funny that I had trouble obeying a directive to enjoy.  The command sounded more like, “Go do stuff, stop being so afraid of failure and have fun!”  And finally, I listened to that wisdom.  So I encourage you today – go try it, leave behind fear and ENJOY the life you have.  It was given to us by a Father who loves us dearly.  If I gave my kids a present and they left in on the shelf for fear of messing it up, I’d be a bit bummed.  I want my kids to enjoy what they are given and so does our Father.

I wish I could share a picture of the night life on the square, but we are not allowed to take photos in our village.  So, I’ll leave you with one of our recent family pictures and say, “Go ENJOY!”