Dancing with the Divine

By Leslie A. LaPrise

Dancing with the Divine is a great instrument for moving with joy & peace through the daily rhythms

of following Christ. Written by one who loves the

Word and the daily dance with our Creator, Leslie opens the windows of her soul in a fresh way that delivers hope and new insights.

I highly recommend Dancing with the Divine to all who desire to grow in God's love and grace!

Pastor Kyle Poole

Midland Valley Community Church of the Nazarene

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Mar 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504353779

Leslie A. LaPrise

“‘Dancing with the Divine’ is a great instrument for moving with joy & peace through the daily rhythms of following Christ. Written by one who loves the Word and the daily ‘dance’ with our Creator, Leslie opens the windows of her soul in a fresh way that delivers hope and new insights. I highly recommend ‘Dancing with the Divine’ to all who desire to grow in God's love and grace!” Pastor Kyle Poole Midland Valley Community Church of the Nazarene

Book preview

A Change of Pace in the Struggle

The Lord who made the earth,

the Lord who forms it to establish it,

Yahweh is His name, says this:

"Call to Me and I will answer you and

tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know."

(JER. 33:2-3 HCSB)

I haven't yet expressed this fear

and still You hear

   my heart's cry!

Why do I even try

to hold things back from You?

You affirm what I doubt before I ask,

forgiving what I lack

   in spiritual fortitude!

And I am grateful for Your tender care,

the way You often speak to me where

I don't even know there's a need.

Could it be

that You know me

   better than I know myself?

Could it be

   that You can see

all that resides

in the parts of the depths inside

where I cannot find

   truth?

Of course it is so

that You know

everything there is to know of this soul!

Yes, sometimes she's still so slow

   to trust in what You say!

But it's not because she doesn't trust You---

she does, with all that she is!

It's just that often she fears

it's not You Whom she hears,

but the enemy moving so near.

He has always tried to mimic Your voice---

always attempted to interfere, with his noise---

   his clatter

   his chatter

   his insults and prattle

   his tireless, vile attacks

   his filth

   and his lies

   and his many disguises

   with which he attempts to be You!

That's always been his downfall, too,

for in no way can he compare to You!

So at this stage of my journeying

there's not much he can bring

to shake me up or press me down---

   save one play he always reserves,

   one curve

   he pitches in:

      that You, God of all creation,

      would stoop from Your high station

      to speak to one such as me

         is ludicrous!

   And he has a good point, one must admit,

      it

   seems a little far-fetched!

   But so does that You would come

   down to earth in the form

   of a tiny baby to set us all free!

   And You, Yourself, ever-so-gently,

remind me of this simple fact:

   that

I cannot heal myself!

The enemy oft says

Your voice is just me in my head,

but if that were true

then there'd be no fruit!

As incredulous as it seems to some

to think that You would come

so faithfully and tenderly

to speak to Your little ones?

      You do!

For all who

will stop and choose

to hear You,

You will come!

You have no secret great desire to hide Yourself from us!

The opposite is true of You

Who desire to reveal Yourself

to a people You love beyond life itself---

   You showed that when Your Son gave His life

   so that we could have fellowship with You!

So teach me, my God, all You long to reveal,

and seal

it all within me,

that every moment I'm awake

I may take

Who You are to a world so lost!

The cost

is irrelevant in this life here---

   so much is sheer illusion!

Tell me Your great things and all I don't know,

and then let me live a life that shows

other souls

Your Truth!

Though the enemy attack convincingly at times,

   telling me I'm a fake,

   he cannot take

      away what You've done

   or reverse that which You've saved me from!

The fruit shall speak the truth of Your voice

and all that You call me to---

   not for myself, but for what You wish to do

   through a soul simply willing to

   go without questioning You,

      where You ask

      with whom You ask

      internally or externally

      when You ask

      how You ask

      for Your purpose

      Your plan

      to be Your feet and hands,

      Your heart in a world that aches.

So try, evil one, if you think you must,

   or if you think you still stand a chance!

But I know Whose voice leads my way each day,

   and so we're clear? I know it's not yours!

Now hear me, my God, as I call to You,

   Glorious, Majestic One!

Come to my side

and let me abide

every day

only in You!

6/24/2013

A Journey's End

After two months in the depths

this soul emerges anew

and ponders what it is that

You may be about to do

with her.

Maybe nothing at all---

perhaps You simply long

for Your own to be freer and freer.

No matter here, at this end of things,

Your child will SING your praises

wherever this life leads!

She's been with You in the deep---

   the very darkest there was within---

and floundered in the mire of rebellious sin.

She's fled in fear

and allowed anger to rear

   its head and control her thoughts.

She's run, and cried,

and feared, and tried

   to avoid the worst within,

but eventually died

to self.

When she was sure that she would fall---

   that the struggle not to was in vain---

when the pain

of healing was thought too intense,

You, Yourself rushed in then

to where she needed You most!

You were there in the very blink of an eye, when she thought all was lost

and that yielding would cost

   everything she held dear!

And she would have fallen---

   there's no question there---

but the lesson of which You've made her aware

is that she can bear

anything

this life may bring

as long as You are there!

That's comforting on one hand---

but unsettling on the other---

because it makes her wonder

if the lesson reflects what is to come!

Preparation for some

painful thing

that life will bring?

But, ha! There she goes again!

Just when

she's emerged from the deep

a simple thought attempts to keep

her from letting those new wings fly!

But not this time!

Nor evermore!

What will come, will come---

this healing shall not be undone

by whisperings from of old!

She'll not be told

by shadows

that healing will not hold!

Threads of generational pain

and the stain

with which she was born

have been torn from deep within---

   the very deepest place where they hid their face---

now reborn and cleansed.

Core-level healing at the Master's hand

began

unknowingly,

took her to the darkest depths,

and kept

her there for a time.

But now she finds

she's been released---

the deepest Work has set her free

at levels indescribable,

and she is full

in those depths within

of HIM!

Her Love!

Her Heart!

It matters not what may come

in all that life may bring!

She will SING His praise!

She will RAISE her voice!

She will STAND for the One

Who always comes

at our darkest hour

to shower

us with grace,

even if we know it not!

   She knew it not---

   for a moment forgot

   what she will never forget again!

   That He will NOT

   ever leave her side,

      regardless of what the enemy chides,

   for her GOD is faithful and true!

   HE is the One on Whom

   all the universe rests!

   Even the very best

   the enemy may put forth

   is as nothing to HIM!

   FOREVER will this soul CLING

      to HIM

   and all that she has learned

   through the intensity of this journey,

   and the deepening of Him within!

She is, forever,

      HIS!

5/29/2013

About the Morning Glory

         Here sits Your morning glory

         in the pre-dawn hour,

         Your morning flower

         that opens up to You,

            awaiting in the stillness,

               You, her Love.

He is the only One

for Whom she reaches up,

patiently awaiting each new touch

   after every deep of every night.

In darkness she may fold away

but each new day brings her back,

      ready to begin

      in newness with Him.

A flower made resilient---

   because of its deep roots---

   finds that

      though each night seems cold and never-ending,

   each morning when she's bending

   toward the faithful Sun,

      the chill of night has more deeply made them one.

Morning always brings to her---

   for her has always been thus---

new hope

new joy

new life

   amidst the struggle.

The Morning Glory is often dismissed

because she's not the type the world seeks---

      the world does not seek that which is deemed a weed.

But this is the Morning Glory's beautiful secret!      

The secret between her and her Creator:

      she tends to spread and grow throughout the garden!

And she?

   She smiles because knows

this is why she's here on earth---

it's exactly this that gives her life its worth---

   to spread and grow

   and thus show

   the incomprehensible glory of the Son!

      She winks at Him and He at her,

      knowing that together

      they share the secret of what is yet to come.

A simple morning glory,

   not the most beautiful that exists,

   knows her beauty lies in Him and does not cease.

      His beauty!

      His glory!

      She longs for nothing more!

         Everything of Him, the fullness of her story!

      A flower, insignificant

         of its own accord,

      can be magnificent

      before her Lord,

      Who transforms the very weakest

      into something so much more,

         until there comes a day

         that others see all they're longing for.

         Though they don't always understand,

         it is His hand that moves!

            His Love that warms!

            His Light that shines!

            His very breath in her!

Her name in Him says it all:

His little Morning Glory,

   whose story

   reveals the heart of a God of Love

      Who sets apart His own for His own reasons.

   Apart, not above,

   for deeply does she long

   to love His people just as