Monday night during an activity with the local youth group, our team was walking down a dark street when the youth leader told me that “it would be good if we could dance” at the next stop.

The next stop turned out to be a children’s home with nearly 60 kids packing the wooden benches. Our group sang songs, some of the younger girls did a dance they had prepared, and then while some throbbing music blared, we danced.

Judging by the kids’ response, there is no greater joy than to see foreigners dance. Kate and Breana did something that resembled screwing in a light bulb with one hand and petting a dog with the other. I pretended to be an airplane; Sarah did some sort of prancing move, while Sarunas demonstrated the best of Eastern European dancing. Then Matthew did the worm. Instantly the children became a screaming mass, standing on chairs and on benches and jockeying for a spot to watch as Matthew writhed on the cement.

Our Western culture has taught us that you go to a place to do something or accomplish a goal. We are discovering that simply “being” is enough to bless people. In terms of checklists, we have accomplished very little this week. But we have walked the streets with new friends, sung songs we didn’t know, and when asked, we danced.

There are some strong parallels to our faith. We don’t need to do anything to earn God’s approval. All he wants is for us to be with him, follow him, and when he asks, go out on a limb.

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