I am so excited to introduce you to my next guest blogger: my sister Linda Madhoo. She is a great source of inspiration for me.
CALLED TO DANCE
Hi. I’m Linda Madhoo, dearly beloved and treasured daughter of the Most High God.
I’ve been married for almost 37 years to the most adorable man, Vinay and have 2 children, Natasha married to Justin and Niall married to Armine. My precious grandchildren are Hannah, David, and Samuel, the most adorable grandchildren you will ever meet!
I’m passionate about Jesus and empowering and equipping men and women to know Him and live for Him. I’m passionate about seeing the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven and partnering with God to see that happen.
And I love to dance!
I come from a family who love to dance!
I married a man who has two left feet and hates to dance! And on top of that, I was shy and introverted and probably would have been too embarrassed to dance anyway.
I would watch as others waltzed gracefully and elegantly or danced the rhumba across the dance floor. I watched as others enjoyed dancing the salsa and tango or did a quick jive. Friends rocked and rolled and had fun as they line danced. Bless him, my husband did try, but all we managed was a shuffle in a little spot on the dance floor and all efforts to get my husband to attend dance lessons with me failed miserably, as did my dreams of dancing the Argentinian Tango, my favourite dance.
And so I resigned myself to finding other ways of expressing myself. I took up painting, arts, and crafts, gardening, all sorts of creative activities to be the creative person that I am. And I forgot about the love I had for dancing.
But God my Father did not!
Many years ago my husband was given an opportunity to develop a chain of stores in Zambia. And so we moved to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. To begin with, it was a time of loneliness as I did not know anyone and was too afraid to venture into the horrendous traffic and make new friends. My days were spent with Jesus, soaking in His Presence and being content to be in His Love until He started to tell me it was time to step out of my comfort zone!
I joined a Christian Body and Soul Gym class that was close enough for me to feel comfortable with driving to. And as I exercised I began to hear God telling me that He wanted me to be a gym instructor. I was about to turn 50 and laughed at the idea as there were many younger and fitter women than I was and I was far too shy to be up at the front with everyone watching me! But when the gym instructor said she was looking for new gym instructors and was willing to train any interested women, I was the only woman to find myself being pushed by some invisible force to the front! And as I got there, she informed me, that the day I joined the class, some many months before, she knew I was going to become her next instructor!
I loved every minute as I learned dance steps I had given up hope of ever learning. I learned Swing Dancing and Latin American Dancing and Hip Hop Dancing and even Irish Dancing! I learned box steps and chasses, cha-chas and moonwalks, mambos and merengues, Cuban walks and cumbias, Lindy Hops and Charlestons. I learned reggaetons and sambas and salsas. How I loved it all!
And God laughed with me and delighted in dancing with me. And through it all, He began to transform me. It was the best 50th birthday present He could have given me.
God knows who we are. He knows everything about us because He has created us, loves us and delights in us.
Psalm 139 tells us:
LORD, you have examined me
and know all about me.
You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You know my thoughts before I think them.
You know where I go and where I lie down.
You know everything I do.
LORD, even before I say a word,
you already know it.
You are all around me—in front and in back—
and have put your hand on me.
Your knowledge is amazing to me;
it is more than I can understand.
How wonderful it is to be known by the Most High God, Our Father.
We can be ourselves with Him, dearly loved and accepted as we are, by Him. We don’t have to pretend with Him, put on a mask with Him or pretend to be someone we are not. We don’t have to compare ourselves to others or compete with others. He has purposes and plans that are just for us. And He empowers us and equips us to fulfill those purposes and plans. He knows the desires of our heart. He knows our joys and our sorrows. He knows our triumphs and our challenges. He knows all there is to know about us and still loves us.
But He is also calling us to more. He is calling us to be more than we could ever imagine we could be.
God is calling His sons and daughters to be so strong and confident in whom they are and to whom they belong that they will partner with Him to advance His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. He is calling them to come out of hiding and be seen.
And God is calling those who do not know Him yet, to come to Him and to be His children, dearly beloved and cherished.
God is calling His people to dance with Him. He is calling us to dance in tune to His rhythm, to His music.
God is calling YOU to dance with Him. Will you answer His call today?
I’m no longer a gym instructor and have returned to Zimbabwe but I still dance. I dance in worship to my God. I dance when I see God set people free from wounds and lies they have believed for most of their lives, as I walk an inner healing journey with them. I dance as I see God deliver people from strongholds that have kept them prisoners for so long. And I dance as I see men and women gain freedom and live lives that God has meant for them to live.
I dance and I dance and I dance!
I turn 60 soon and have been given a prophetic picture of a beautiful box wrapped up in gold that God is going to give me for my birthday. I wonder what it will be this time.
