All to Thee...

Yesterday was the big day. After weeks of practicing, preparing, and praying, it was time for the girls to do their worship dance in front of the entire school during a Cultural Talent Show. So many thoughts were racing through my mind, as the girls prepared to go up, nervousness evident in their faces...

"Lord God, may YOU be glorified through this. & Only You. All for You! "

I'm ashamed to say it, but I was truly scared. How would the entire student body take it? Would they be respectful and listen and watch? Or would they cat-call and ridicule? I don't know how I would take that, being so protective of my girls and the amazing message they would be sharing. Even scarier to me was thinking about the teacher's reactions. Would they be upset that God was being presented to their students, when countless rules prohibit it?

But it was amazing how God washed all my fears away. The girls were absolutely fantastic. & God worked through everything. The first thing people noticed was, "Wow, they're all matching!" One particular teacher, in seeing the uniformity in motions and in dress, even remarked, "You KNOW that's God." Oh, how that was my prayer! That people would see the worship dance and KNOW it was ALL for and through HIM! & How He had shown Himself through something as simple as a uniform - and how HE had been the One who had provided it (see previous post). & Just when I thought matching shirts were enough, God provided a way for me to purchase matching lava lava wraps for ALL of them! He provided more than enough! Unbelievable! God's provision is amazing. Truly amazing!

& Students AND teachers said afterward that they cried! Both said they were so touched by the message and the dance. A teacher even said, "You know, throughout all the other dances, kids were making fun and teachers kept criticizing, but when you guys went up, everyone was silent. Everyone watched. And no one said a word." Undeniably the Holy Spirit at work! & Amazing how through her simple remark, God calmed my specific fears.

The girls themselves were changed. They came up to me with tears in their eyes, saying, "Tabby, thank you for the shirts and lava lavas (wraps). We feel bad. Can we pay you back?" But I assured them that no, they have been such blessings to me, and I wanted to somehow bless them. I'll never forget the looks on their faces, which seemed to say, "Wow, you would do that? For me?" One girl in particular gave me a look that pierced deep into my soul. It was a look of such sheer thankfulness, my eyes became glassy. I learned later that she had been abandoned by both her parents, and constantly acted out. This made that look even more meaningful. Even as all the other girls had changed out of their costumes after the dance, she kept hers on the entire day and constantly smiled at me as she held it. Lord God, I am unworthy to feel the blessings of the entire experience!

& To top it all off, we prayed. YES! There, in the midst of an entirely assembly, within a public school, the girls asked me to pray for them as we held hands in a circle! Indeed, God was listening.

"Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, Give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 29:1-2

Additions to the Happy List:

- The 17 girls of the first worship dance at F.B. Middle School