“Courage” 

Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury                                      

Arthur Murray Santa Monica

Courage is not having the strength to go on.

Courage is going on when you have no strength.

Fate Whispers to the warrior “You cannot withstand the storm”.

The warrior whispers back “I am the storm”

One of my favorite scripture stories is God’s revelation to Elijah through the Still Small Whisper.

Elijah was the last prophet who was alive. He hid in the mountains. Then God send a great and strong wind that passed by tearing into the mountain, breaking the rocks into pieces, but the Lord was not in the wind.

Then, after the wind, there came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then came a great fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

After the fire, there was a still small voice. Elijah heard God in that quiet voice and came out of his cave. Then God spoke to him.

As I get older, my hearing in my ears is not the best, but the hearing in my heart gets better and better. All my life, I have heard the still small voice. Now, I hear it every day.

I am now strong enough to know that in the winds of my life, the earthquakes and the fires, God is not speaking to me through these. It is in the little “hints” that are whispered to me where I truly hear God speak to me.

Then, I find the courage to listen to the voice. Courage to say “yes”. The courage that is there when I truly have no strength to go on. Then, when I hear the words that come to me, I pause in silence and wait to hear not just the words, but the call and the question, “What are you doing, David?” “This is what I want you to do”.

Why does this mean so much to me? It is for one reason. It is so that I can hear the words of service that I can share with others. It is so I may have the wisdom and knowledge to help someone else who cannot yet hear their still small voice.

They are having horrific winds, earthquakes, and fires in their lives and they cannot hear anything. There is no voice in the chaos.

I hope that I can be that “oasis” person in life who can take a moment and calm someone else down and listen to them, and perhaps find the still small whisper for them, and show them how to learn to listen and hear.

How does this tie in with ballroom dancing? As a choreographer, to see the steps in my mind, heart and spirit, I must quietly listen to the music, sometimes over and over. And as I listen, I can see the choreography in my mind. I dance it to the music. I write it down. I film it. I memorize it and then with a heart full of joy, I teach it to someone else and then dance it with them.

It is a magical experience for me every time. And after the routine is finished and we are dancing it, I listen to the music and it tells me all the steps and when to dance them. The music comes alive to me. I remember seeing the steps just like a video in my mind and I remember that revelation. I listened to the music. The still small whisper told me what to do. I saw the vision.

Take a minute and ask Google or Siri about  “a still small voice” and read the story of Elijah. I hope you find comfort and answers to what is happening in your life through this great story.

Thank you for reading and Keep on Dancing!

“Dance & Thrive in ‘25”

David Woodbury