My precious child, may I have this dance? Will you come with me to the middle of the dance floor? To the clearing in the forest? To the meadow where the sun glistens?

Come with me. Hear the music. Feel its rhythm set to the beat of your heart, . . . a beat of hope, of awakening. Feel the stirring deep within. Let it rise. Let it wiggle your toes. As you look down to the ground you will see that your feet are already moving. One-two-three, one-two-three.

May I have this dance? It is the most natural thing for this rhythm to move your feet along in dance, in step with me, gliding in my embrace.

What is not natural is for you to hold in rigidity — at attention, in fear of reproof, in fear of anger. That is unnatural to your heart and it is an offense to your spirit. Leave fear behind, my child, and let your steps flow with mine in a new dance. Let us welcome a new day, a time of restoration, a time of love.

When day is done, let it be said that love abounded in that day. Let it be said that love began to flow throughout the land. Let it be said that love did overtake the hearts and melt away the hurts. Let it be said that you danced with me, and you never turned back.

from Joy Unfolding: Messages for the Guarded Heart

(Dance in the Meadow music performed by Art Sanchez, Ron Reyes, David Goldstein and Cathay Reta)