I love Kent, from Wapakoneta...

So those of you who know me know that I am secretly addicted to broadway musicals and I LOVE a good dance number. Oh, and that I LOVE So You Think You Can Dance. I have watched devotedly since season 2. I caught snippets of season 1 in Korea, but it wasn’t until season two and Benji that I started watching regularly. Now I can’t stop!

This season, there is this cute little kid from Wapakoneta, Ohio named Kent Boyd. I knew from the get-go that I LOVED Kent. How could you not? He is infectiously happy. He radiates joy and happiness from every pore. He is just so darn cute that he makes me want to dance. Any of you who have seen me dance know that is a scary thing.

So, I love Kent. I loved him even more when he said that the person he looked up to most was his brother, who was going to be a youth minister. Then, I loved him best when I read a quote he made. When asked what he hoped to gain from the experience of performing weekly on So You Think You Can Dance, he responded, “To change as a dancer but not as a person.” Wow. I had to remind myself that he is just 18 years old. Such wise sentiments from such a young kid.

His goal is to live in the world but not be of the world, or not allow the experiences of the world to change who he was created to be(fearfully and wonderfully created, according to Psalm 139:14). Or at least that is my spin on what he said. Though he has never come out and said it, I believe that Kent loves Jesus. It kind of makes sense--he’s one of the most joyful people I have ever seen and supremely gifted. Both of those don’t come from the world or from yourself. Those are gifts only God can bestow. Now, he can be a great dancer and not love Jesus--lots of those are out there, but I just have a hunch. I think this boy loves Jesus...

As I read his quote, I started thinking--do I want to be in the world but not of the world? That’s something I ponder regularly--especially when I find myself caught up in selfish ambition and prideful boasting. But, the second part--do I allow the experiences of the world change who I was created to be? Do I allow the world to change my identity in Christ? In my struggles do I rejoice? In my repentance do I give thanks? In my lowest of my lows do I say that it is well with my soul? (Though sometimes it’s even harder to give thanks on the mountain top--because we don’t see the need. Sometimes it’s harder to rejoice in the blessings or be content with the gifts we’ve been given--because it’s in our need that we see our inadequacies. But that’s another blog, I think!)

Do I allow my circumstances determine my worth and therefore devalue the purpose for which I was created?

Out of the mouth of babes... Now, I know Kent was not necessarily referring to his Christian life when he said that he wanted to be a better dancer but not change who he was as a person... But what a beautiful parallel we can draw.

We cannot change our circumstances only our reactions to them. I don’t know where I heard that, but whoever said it was pretty smart. We cannot change what life throws at us, but we can say that no matter what falls in our paths we will choose to honor the holy purpose given to us by God. We can learn a lot from our world. However, we don’t have to let the world change our identity in Christ.

My prayer for today (and the next, and the next...and the next...) is that I will live in this world and learn as much as I can while remaining true to my calling. To remember that my purpose doesn’t change because my circumstances change. To remember to give thanks for the bad... and the good. And to pray that the world doesn’t change me, but rather God’s hands mold me, prune me, sculpt me.