God is the best dance partner ever. Now if we can just be the best follower - oh how much better life can be!

I am a ballroom dancer. As a lady I am typically a follower. I've noticed there are a lot of similarities to following a guy in say a Waltz as there are to following God. On the dance floor the better I learn to follow and more I relax the better the dance. Spiritually, following Him better means I am getting closer to Him and then closer to what His plan for me is. (Which is WAY better than plans I make for myself)

Wait for the lead: I tend to rush and anticipate as a dancer. This becomes a problem because I move before I'm supposed to and that often spoils what the guy was going to do as I get myself out of position or momentum takes me in the wrong direction. But when I wait a few good things happen.
1. I have time to finish my move and really get to milk it for all its worth.
2. I leave myself in a position the guy wants me and then I am poised to go where he wants me to go next instead of spoiling his plan. Its really great to dance with someone who knows more than I do but if I anticipate what I think the guy is going to do and start a move I already know, I miss out on a new move that could have been really cool.
How is this like a relationship with God? When I wait for Him to tell me what He has planned I get the opportunity to live in the moment instead of trying to anticipate and guess what He wants from me in the future. If I spend all my time and energy trying to divine what He might want me to do next I don't enjoy the present and maybe He wants to bless me with joy right now. We can easily get caught up in planning the future and then miss out on the present.
I also keep myself in a position to do what He wants. If I go running off to do what I think He might want me to do I gyp myself out of cool experiences because I am in the middle of my own thing.

Stay connected: I've been dancing almost eleven years now. Somewhere near year three I learned how to dance with body contact. My hip/core stays attached to the guy. When we are connected I can feel what he is doing so much better. I get stepped on a lot less. We move as one. Not only can I feel the lead so much better but we move as one this way because there isn't a lag between his initiation and my reaction.
How is this like a relationship with God? The closer we connect ourselves to God the better we can hear and understand Him. When I stay connected to Him through reading, sermons, bible studies and prayer there is less guesswork between what He communicates and what I do. I trust what He is telling me because I can feel that its right. If I only check in sometimes I don't hear his leadings and miss my cues.

Pay attention to your partner: I LOVE dancing. My friends say I have a "dance face." I have been told its what joy looks like. I can easily get caught up in having fun and really feeling the music. The problem is sometimes I get so caught up in having fun and thinking about what I'm doing that I don't pay attention to my guy. When this happens I miss out on cues and leads though. Its pretty selfish actually. Its like I'm using the guy for leads but I'm not dancing WITH him, I'm dancing NEAR him.
How is this like a rerelationship with God? I can say I'm a Christian and do lovely "christian things." But if I'm just doing my own thing and not paying attention to God I'm being really selfish. Eventually its going to break down because I'm going to get caught up in doing good so I look good, not so He looks good.

 Dancing is better with a partner: I could get out there and bump and grind or break out The Sprinkler but dancing with a partner is SO MUCH BETTER! As a follower, I am not responsible to think of the moves. When I get to dance with someone better than me I get to learn new moves. He's responsible for timing, not running us into anyone and thinking of good moves. I can just trust him (hopefully). He has to be the creative one. Yet I still have some room for creativity too.
How is this like a relationship with God? Life is better with God. He is responsible to steer me where I should go. My view of life is pretty myopic while His is so vast. He can see what I can't which puts him in a better place to lead me. He is responsible to protect me. When things aren't going well I can ask him for help and wisdom. I'm not responsible to save the world. I could go it alone and not have to worry about anyone else. I tried living this way and it was so lonely and meaningless. I hated it.

He suggests, not forces. A good leader suggests where I should go and doesn't bully me into the move. I hate dancing with a guy who forces me to do something. It can be painful and awkward.
How is this like a relationship with God? God suggests where we should go but he doesn't force us. He doesn't want a bunch of Stepford Wives/ robots, he wants loving children. He offers us suggestions but doesn't MAKE us do His will. He wants us to have free will so we can choose to love Him. Who just wants a robot that is recorded to say "I love you. Yes, I will do whatever you want?" That's not love. He wants us to choose to follow Him out of love, not fear or force.