Dancing in My Father’s House

As a small girl she danced with joy

With her Father at the beginning of every celebration

He needed not coax nor convince her

She laid her head on His chest at the slightest invitation

As a young woman she grew, she began to rebel

And soon her new found independence caused her to stray

From the comforts and security of a loving home and Father
And she left it behind the day she ran away

As the dreams of success quickly faded to dark
And the cruelty of reality soon set in
Pride caused her not to return home to her Father
She then made the choice instead to dance for men

She danced with passion and great skill for others
For her Father had taught her well
But the shame of what she had become had effects upon her
That only her soul could tell

Then the letters began to slowly arrive
She knew what each one would say
Yet she could never bear to read even one
So unopened she filed them all away

Pride had caused her not to return home

Now Shame was holding her there

For if her Father knew what dance she was dancing

Those letters would quickly cease to appear

She longed to make the long journey home

Yet she knew not where to begin

Her desire had turned from dancing for the world

To have one precious moment in her Father’s arms again

Then one day the letter arrived
Delivered some how by her own Father’s hand
This time she would open it up
Yet she just did not understand

It said “I know where you are and I know what you have been doing
It doesn’t change how I feel about you
I’m still your Father, you are still my child
All I have written in my letters are still true”

As she frantically opened all of the letters
Each one addressed to her name
She began to cry a mountain of tears
For each letter had just one question that was always the same

She barely made it home in time
For the celebration was just about to begin
But there her Father stood waiting for her...
Waiting for her to answer Him

She turned to Him “yes” she answered

“If the invitation is still open to me”

And so the two danced, Him holding her tight

Sweet music surrounding them in serenity

On the floor lay the letter with her name

And the Father’s simple request

“Will you come home and dance with me

lay your head upon my chest?”

“ He came near to the house and he heard music and dancing” Luke 15:25

C.Hinds/ © February 2002