Save the last dance for me

This past weekend I attended a wedding. The event was a joy filled magical affair, my "hat" is off to the family who planned this wedding and I rejoice with the couple who were married on this day.

There was dancing, laughter and conversation shared at the reception, meeting new people and reconnecting with those I have not seen in many years. There was also a high level of spirituality present at this wedding, not the kind that many associate with being "spiritual". Unfortunately many think to be spiritual you have to behave in a certain way or dress in a certain fashion. This might be true but not in the manner thought, ones behavior should always be of caring, loving and mercy to all. One should always dress themselves in forgiveness to others and never place on yourself garments of judgement towards others. I have learned in life with most people... what you see is not what you get. ... with this statement I would like to "tell a story" of a classic misjudgment of others upon someone..

It involves someone who has died...

During this man's life, I will call him, "Bill", people in his family came down hard on him. They with reason, for he manifested in his life alcoholism and when he drank he was a nasty drunk, an abusive man to say the least. His wife was the object of this abuse many times, so the family took her side always when it came to this man. Now this woman predeceased her husband and he lived for another 3 years, in said time I got to know Bill on a level that I never knew him before. Bill shared very intimate and detailed accounts of his life, from his time as a youth, to his time in the navy to his married and family life. I learned of the deep and personal traumas this man went through in life how they affected his thinking, how he was molded by past trauma and events that were out of his control. He spoke about his relationships with his dad and his mom, he spoke of his own father being an drunk and his own traumas with his mom. Bill also had a chemical imbalance that manifested in his being bi-polar, and this was not picked up until his later years. So when one took into consideration all Bill went through in life one could see why he drank so much as a younger man it was his means of coping with events that he could not deal with on any other level. For underneath this man's "personal issues" there lived a good and honorable man, sharing and caring for those around him whom he loved. I knew this man my entire life, yet it was not until his last years did I understand that I never really knew him, I knew his behavior prior not him... I will always consider myself to be graced and gifted to know Bill for the man he really was before he died. This is why I think his wife stayed with him, I think she saw beyond the behavior to the man within...

And I believe this is what God does with us all, he sees beyond the "human behavior" to the man/woman within and this is who he deals with. We are all weak in the flesh for reasons within each and everyone of us and by being predisposed to said by sinful natures. I believe on the day Bill died he went right to heaven, our merciful God looked into the heart of Bill and saw all his kindness and charity given to others and welcomed him with open arms.

Yet anyone who judged Bill on a "human standard" would find that hard to believe and this is why I thank God for being the Savior and not allowing any one of us at the end of the day (our lives) to be judge over us... for no one but God sees into the heart.

So at this reception there was a lot of "human behavior", on face value maybe some looked less then "spiritual"... on a level of God I am sure he delighted in all his people and laughed and danced with them...

And speaking of dancing the Bride and Groom requested that the last song played at their reception be "Save the last dance for me"... I thought this a really good song choice, so much so that after the reception, prior to going home I went to the Chapel. There I spent time with Jesus in the tabernacle for he is the one I seek to have the last dance with here on earth and then to dance throughout all eternity with... So, yes Jesus on this night and all nights I saved the last dance for you...