The East Coast Swing

6.  The East Coast Swing

 

“Swing dancing is by far the most versatile dance in the world. 

The rhythm is infectious and as natural to us as our heartbeat! 

Swing [is the] … dance that has the whole world Jumpin’ Jivin’ and Wailin!’ 

Come join the fun.”[41]

 

“East Coast Swing has very simple structure and

footwork along with basic moves and styling. It is popular for its simple

nature, and it is often danced to slow, medium, or fast tempo jazz,

blues, or rock and roll.”[42]

 

Vicki’s journal entry for March 31 continues,

… Lowell loves [the director and the parachurch ministry], and it was not an easy decision for him to make.  He has learned so much in these 8 months that he might have never learned otherwise.  He has been stretched and has worked harder than either of us thought possible.  Overall, it has been a very positive experience for him, and we feel it was not a mistake to have come here.

As for me, it hasn’t been so easy, either.  I have often resented Lowell’s time away from family and how demanding the job was.  I’ve always been taught, “God first, Family second, Job last,” even if your job was ministry.  Lowell has always stressed this way of prioritizing life, too, but because of the nature of this job, it had to come before family.  There was always so much to do, so many deadlines to make, that there was little time or energy left for us (the boys and me).  And the pace won’t slow down – not for several years anyway.  I guess I just didn’t feel it was right – to be so used up by your work that there’s nothing left for your family … your most precious possession …  I know I’m not being selfless and I know I need to grow more in that area.  I think I have … some.  I know I’ll never take having my husband around for granted again … So, Lowell will probably resign next week.

We have no place to go and not a penny in savings.  It’s taken all we’ve made to live here.

Nothing is more frightening to me than facing an unknown future – especially with two little boys.  I need security as a woman, and I was beginning to panic today … [until] I stopped to read my Bible.  I bowed my head and asked the Holy Spirit to help me trust God for our future and not be so frightened.  I opened my eyes to my open Bible and read these verses:

Psalm 32:7-10 [says], “You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.  [Then God said in response to David’s worship,] “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you … Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him.”

Thank You once again, Holy Spirit, for coming through when I needed You!  Forgive me for not trusting You, for doubting that You would lead us exactly where You want us to go.  Sometimes I wonder if I will ever learn to really trust You.  My small mind and small faith puts so many limits on You.  I know You will lead us I the way we should go.  Now please help me be patient and wait for Your timing.  I love You, Lord.  Thank You for loving me.

 

Vicki began to develop “a gentle and quiet spirit.”  She decided to “be content” where she was, and with what she had.  She prayed and hoped to be “more loving and patient,” less self-centered and have a more positive attitude.  She had no clue how God would manufacture those things in her life.  She only knew she needed to change, and that God would be the Change Agent.

April 15th was my last day working with our dear friends at the parachurch ministry.  Both Vicki and I were as ready as two twenty-nine year old people could be for a change of this magnitude.  We had no idea what “the change” would be.  We didn’t know what would occur in our hearts or our lives.  But we tried to prepare for it.

Vicki’s willingness to submit her heart to God for change, to actually invite change, begs the question, “What would motivate her or anyone to voluntarily enter into such an arrangement with God?  Why would anyone sign the rights of their life over to God?  Why would anyone agree to submit to any means God wished to use to shape their life?”

Take a peek at April 19, 1983:

I’ve just read the book Prison To Praise by Merlin R. Carothers[43] and OH, what a revelation.  I have completely received into my heart (emphasis mine) the truth that we must give thanks for everything that comes into our lives, good or bad, because “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”[44]

 

This principle, of praising God and giving Him thanks no matter what the days may hold, really changed Vicki’s life.  She became a much more positive person.  Sometimes I would challenge her with one of my “reality checks,” as if it were my responsibility to do so.  I’d say something like, “So … we’re supposed to give thanks today because we don’t have any food in the frig?  Give me a break!  Certainly that’s not what God meant when He inspired Paul to write those words.”  And she’d reply, “Well, I’m not thanking God for the empty refrigerator.  I’m thanking Him that we have a refrigerator!  And soon I believe He’ll provide something for us to put in it!  So … I’m thanking Him IN ADVANCE!”

That, my friends, is evidence of her heart change. 

Unlike swing dancing, people can’t fake real heart change.  I think some folks can fake the East Coast Swing dance to some degree if they have rhythm, can shuffle their feet (or better yet, rock step), and do a few under-arm turns.  But when someone starts moving into swing dances like the Lindy Hop, the Jive, or the Carolina Shag, they better know their stuff.

 When it comes to a change of heart, you and I can’t merely memorize a script (some magic words or phrases like “I’m not receiving this or that,” or “I claim that”), sing a happy song, meditate, or hum a mantra.  Real heart change goes to the core of a person’s being and influences principles, character, and actions.

Vic went on to write:

I … trust God enough to know that He is in control of every situation that comes into our lives, and that only as we praise Him for them (not in spite of them) is His power released to fully work in that situation.  I can have joy in my heart no matter what the circumstances because I know God is using [my circumstances] to bring about good in my life.

 

Then Vicki wrote out some Bible verses that corroborate what had taken place in her heart.

·      1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing.  In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

·      Nehemiah 8:10 – “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

·      John 16:24 – “Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

·      Hebrews 13:15 – “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name.”

·      Psalm 30:11 – “You have turned my mourning (‘wailings’ in the NIV) into dancing …”

 

This theme, of praising God and trusting Him completely in spite of difficult circumstances, continued to resonate in Vicki’s heart in the days and weeks to come.  She continued to write about how God was pouring fresh truth into her open and eager heart.

April 21, 1983

Thank You, Jesus!  I was able to put into practice the principle of giving thanks (in spite of tough circumstances) and I saw how You work.  Lowell and I were going to the Sharret’s[45] concert tonight with Jim and Dolly Gilbert and at the last minute the sitter for the boys couldn’t come.  I wasn’t a bit happy about having to take the boys, but then I began to thank You that this had happened.

After the concert Brandon was walking towards me and suddenly [he] collapsed, crying that his feet hurt.  He has been complaining of pain in his feet and legs since last October, and has been to the podiatrist twice with no real results.

We had several of the ministers lay hands on Brandon.  Jerry Q.[46] prayed for him and we believe YOU healed him, Lord.  He complained of more pain after we got home, and in fact cried himself to sleep.  But Lowell and I decided to step out of character and just trust that You had really healed him.  We know the pain will stop, too, as our faith in You stands firm.

 

The wonderful something that was becoming part of her core has a name.  Call it “an eternal perspective.”  It comes from believing that the entire world is a stage, that God is The Director, and that our stories have happy endings if we trust Him.

“Perspective” can mean “… a particular evaluation of a situation or facts, especially from one person’s point of view.” [47]  It can also mean “ … the ability to see things in a true relationship.”[48]

Vicki began to see events as they related to the eternal value God places upon people (and creation in general), and His loving plan for her life in particular.  She began to see those events as “Father-filtered,” saying “… nothing has come my way without receiving God the Father’s endorsement or permission.”

When she spoke of her concern for Brandon’s foot pain that night, the language changed.  She reasoned that when God determined it was time, “we know the pain will stop …”  That was an important place for her to get to.

And Brandon’s foot pain?  Relief came the next day!  God began to heal his feet that night, and the healing continued until the pain was completely gone in less than twenty-four hours!

Brandon’s healing reinforced the lessons she was learning about God’s point of view, and how we can have His perspective if we listen to what He has to say about things and events.  She was discovering God’s perspectives in the Bible.  For that reason, Vicki’s Bible was rarely out of her sight – a constant reminder that God sees all things in relation to His design and strategy for mankind, and that He shares what He sees in His Word with us.

Put another way, God doesn’t have many secrets.  He does have some … but He’s gone out of His way to share His point of view on most things.

Donald Miller wrote about trust and God and life and circuses.  “Sometimes I feel as though I were born in a circus, come out of my mother’s womb like a man fired from a cannon, pitched toward the ceiling of the tent, all the doctors and nurses clapping in delight from the grandstands, the band going great guns in trombones and drums.  I unfold and find flight hundreds of feet above the center ring, the smell of popcorn in the air, the clowns gathered below, amazed at my grace, and all the people chanting my name as my arms come out like wings … [and] then slowly [I] give way to gravity.  My body falls back toward earth, the ground coming up quick, and the center ring growing enormous beneath my falling weight.

“And this is precisely when it occurs to me that there is no net.  And I wonder, What is the use of a circus? and Why should a man bother to be shot out of a cannon? and Why is the crowd’s applause so fleeting? and … Who is going to rescue me?”[49]

King Solomon had an answer for Donald, and has one for you and me.  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths.  Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.”[50]

When we dance “partner dances” (like the Waltz or the Swing), there’s a leader and a follower.  You can’t have two leaders in a dance.  When you do, it’s called something else – conflict.  In most dances the leader is male, and the follower is female.  The follower must trust the leader, and follow where the leader goes.  I know that in life there are times when females lead; many times Vicki led and I followed.  My point is – you can’t have two leaders at the same time.

When a person develops “an eternal perspective,” he or she comes to believe there is more to this life than what they can see, touch, taste or smell … and that God is going somewhere … and they need to follow.  Having an eternal perspective comes from the belief that there’s more to life than meets the human eye, but God can see it all, and He can be completely trusted to take us where we need to go. 

It’s all about vision.  Perspective.  The point of view.  Humankind tends to see things from a linear point of view, and that can lead to pessimism.  Winston Churchill said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”  Someone else said, “The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”

People who trust God and are developing an eternal perspective tend to be positive, optimistic, and have faith for the impossible because they believe God can see the beginning and the end of all things.  Add all-knowing to all-wise and you have God Himself.

Vicki believed there were mysteries that had their answers in the wisdom of God alone.  She was moving toward being wholeheartedly devoted to Him.

When a person has the kind of heart change Vicki experienced, he or she will discover that their philosophy of life will be in direct conflict with that of their culture – no matter where they live in the world.

Most of the players on planet Earth believe that “THIS” is all there is … this world, this time, these experiences, so it shouldn’t surprise us that most people will seek to avoid any and all pain and suffering and “go for the gusto” because “this” is all there is.  Think about it.  If there is no afterlife or “great beyond” in someone’s concept of LIFE, then they will, naturally, sidestep any and all occasions that might lead to disappointment.  Instead, they might pursue pleasures and amusements with no thought of eternal consequences because those things are all there is.  Self-gratification becomes their single aim, and why not … when THIS is all there.

If a person does not have eternity in their heart, there is no reason for that person to tell the truth.  Why NOT lie to a grand jury, invent new definitions for sex, steal from investors and company retirees, or murder rivals?  If THIS (this world, this time, this government, this economy) is all there is, why not “eat, drink and be merry?”  If death ends THIS, and oblivion is in the cards, why not “get all you can, and can all you get?”  Why not take advantage of all the stupid sheep in the world – rip ‘em off, fleece them, and smile all the way to the market?  If nothingness or annihilation is all the future holds, why obey the rules … any rules … of society or seek to live a noble, generous, or moral life?  Why complicate THIS with morality?

This is what Epicurus believed.  So did Baruch de Spinoza, Voltaire, Arthur Schopenhauer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert G. Ingersoll, Herbert Spencer, William James, and Friedrich Nietzsche – atheists and agnostics all, who happen to be some of the dominant influencers of American culture today.

In contrast, Vicki never saw relationship with God as a complication.  Instead, her relationship with Him was a clarifier.  Her relationship with Him answered her biggest question:  “Why am I here?”[51] 

God continued to shape Vicki during the time we transitioned away from the parachurch ministry and into the next big chapter in our life.  You can see more evidence of that in what she wrote April 24, 1983:

God is reassuring us in so many ways that He is leading us in our decision to minister in different churches throughout the East.

Tonight John Hershman at West End Assembly of God asked Lowell to go to Belize in June with their team to preach evangelistic meetings at the largest church in Belize.  We’re trusting God that I can go, too.  The church will pay for at least Lowell’s expenses.

Last Sunday night at MCC[52] Lowell and I sang together for only the second time in our marriage – “What Kind of Man Is This?”[53]  The Holy Spirit anointed us so that there was spontaneous worship afterwards … Several responded to a salvation appeal that Jerry gave, and God spoke to Lowell and confirmed that He does have His hand of blessing upon us.  Thank You, Jesus, for Your Spirit!

 

A short time after we left the parachurch ministry Vicki wrote,

June 4, 1983

So much has happened in the past five weeks.  Brandon’s feet ARE healed, Lowell has every weekend through July booked, and WE are going to the Dominican Republic together to build a church July 8-24, with Lowell and John Hershman going on to the Mayan Indian village in Belize for the last week.  (Burke Lake Assembly of God sent $800 to West End Assembly of God towards our trip!)

We’ve made wonderful new friends – Bob and Karen Laughlin.

We’re feeling such a peace in our lives even though we have no permanent employ.

 

Because I was no longer required to travel for the parachurch ministry every weekend we started regularly attending West End Assembly of God.  Dr. H. Robert (“Bob”) Rhoden was the Senior Pastor, John Hershman the Education and Missions Pastor, and Bob Laughlin was the Music and Fine Arts Pastor.  Vicki wrote on:

Bob and Joan Rhoden have been so supportive as friends, and they seem so thrilled to have Lowell attending the church now.  We’ve made the switch to WEAG and feel so right about it.  We’re both singing in the choir and feeling more involved.

Although things looked impossible financially for this month we continued to trust God daily and the money came in for everything!  Lowell’s Dad gave him 2 weeks work on his new house (for $50 a day – Praise the Lord!).  Then, on May 31st, the day our rent was due, we had only $100 in the bank.  Bob Rhoden called and had talked to the Potomac District about us … and they sent us a check for $350 (as a gift to help us with our rent)!!!  Thank You, Lord, for performing the impossible!  Now we’re waiting anxiously to see how God will lead us and meet our needs this month (June).

 

Let me tell you what happened next!