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Don’t you just love The Nutcracker ballet? I’ve always love to dance and I have always loved the music and beautiful dances within The Nutcracker. But I never took the time to learn the story behind the ballet—until I was asked to give my testimony at a Ladies’ Christmas Tea at my church. Although the story is not a Christian one, we can still make some parallels with our walk with God. Since I wanted to have some fun at the Tea, I made up this metaphor revolving around the Nutcracker ballet. I even went on stage wearing a tutu! Lol! What follows was my presentation. (It’s longer than my typical post put I think you’ll enjoy it and glean some lessons as well). |
Lessons from the Nutcracker Ballet Story
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet is loosely based on the fantasy story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. It’s about a girl named Clara and a nutcracker that comes to life who wages a battle against the evil Mouse King and saves her.
The ballet begins during a Christmas Eve party, where Clara is delighted when her magician godfather arrives with toys, including a nutcracker. At first Clara rejected the nutcracker but then later accepts it. As Clara treasures the nutcracker it comes to life. Then the evil Mouse King shows up and wages a battle with his tin soldiers. At first it looks like evil is winning, but in the end the Nutcracker—who has turned into a prince—rescues her and brings her into his kingdom—a land filled with beauty and sweets (that’s where the famous sugar-plum fairy comes out to dance).
We too have been have been offered an extraordinary gift—the gift of eternal life. When I was first offered this gift I didn’t recognize it for what it truly was. Let me tell you my story—which God is choreographing into a beautiful ballet.
I was brought up in a mainline Christian home. I went to church every Sunday but got nothing out of it. All I saw was a bunch of rules that no one followed. All I saw was hypocrisy—in the church and in my home. As time went on, I came to believe that God didn’t even exist. I bought into the evolution lie.
However, this atheist, was not a happy person. I felt empty, unfulfilled, and insignificant. Then in 1975, I met the love of my life, Ed, under water in a scuba class (well almost!). After 4 years of dating, we married. I thought everything would be just grand. I had met my prince, my knight in shining armor.
But after a few years, there was still an emptiness in my heart. I had a wonderful man who I knew loved me, a comfortable home, and a decent job. So why did I still feel unfulfilled? “Is this all there is to life?!” I had no idea that the only thing that could truly fill me was God. I didn’t know that the missing piece was a Someone.
Gratefully, God pursued me. He led me to become involved in a business with some vibrant Christians. They kept telling me about this so-called God. A God who loved me and sent His only Son to die for my sins to save me from hell. I scoffed at them. I didn’t like them telling me I was a sinner headed for hell. I didn’t like them telling me that all people fall short of God’s standard of perfection. I’m a good person! I don’t need God. Besides, He doesn’t even exist! So because my heart was so hard, I unknowingly rejected the gift of eternal life.
Nevertheless, I saw that these people had something that I didn’t—an unexplainable peace and joy despite hardships. God was softening my heart. He kept chipping away at the foundation of what I believed to be true. He caused me to wonder if maybe—just maybe—I was believing a lie.
I thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful if it were true? To have the Creator of the universe love me?! To be able to live forever in heaven? I would want to know a God like this.
So, one day, while driving to work, I called out, “God, if You really do exist, I want to believe in You. Please show me.” And He did—but it wasn’t right then or through any outward, spectacular miracle. Rather it was the simple truth of the Gospel spoken through a simple messenger. that got through to me.
You see, now that my heart was finally open to the truth, God opened my eyes to His truth. He gave me the eyes of faith. He gave me the faith to believe. So when I heard the gospel a short time after my cry in the car, I did believe. It was as if the scales fell off my blinded eyes and I saw that it was Jesus who I had been looking for all my life!
God opened my eyes to the truth that not only did He exist, but that He wanted a personal relationship with me. But God is holy and pure. He cannot draw close to someone who is filthy with sin. He showed me that I could only be made clean through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus took the punishment that I deserved. Only by admitting that I was a sinner in need of forgiveness, and accepting Jesus as my substitute could I enter into a personal relationship with God and live with Him forever.
As it tells us in 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What a gift! The gift of eternal life with the Creator of my soul!
I will never forget that moment in time when I finally found what I was looking for all my life—intimacy with my Creator. I didn’t know much, nor did I understand much. All I knew was that I was going to follow Him no matter what that meant. I accepted His free gift and entered into God’s Dance Company. And I’ve never been the same since! That was 39 years ago.
Now this gift of an eternal relationship with my Savior didn’t take me to a glorious pain-free existence right away—into a kingdom of the happily ever-after. Just like in the Nutcracker story, there are still many battles with the evil Mouse King of this world and his soldiers of fear, doubt, insignificance, and heartaches. The ballet of my life is still going on.
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My Master Choreographer, is still teaching me the steps. |
Sometimes the steps are quite difficult and complicated. He has made me do things I never dreamed I could do—or wanted to do! Leaps and twirls and arabesques and pirouettes—whatever in the world they are! He has enabled me to publish 9 books, speak before audiences despite trembling legs, and run an online ministry (He’s So Worth It Ministries) that reaches 1000’s around the globe.
Oh, I fought Him at times, ran away in fear, pouted, sat in my dressing room discouraged with aching muscles and blistered feet. But the Dance Director encouraged me. He said I could do all things through Him who strengthens me (Phil 2:13). He told me that if I would just trust in His methods and ways; if I would stick to the basic moves as He directed, my pain and risk of injury would be way less.
My Instructor assured me that His grace was sufficient (2 Cor 12:9) for every move He wanted me to take or for any pain I had to endure. He also promised me many rewards.
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It’s taken a lot of effort. The day in and day out practices have been grueling at times. I often thought I just can’t do it—didn’t want to do it. I have fallen so many times, but Jesus my ever-present Dance Partner just picks me up. Sometimes He’s had to completely pick me up off the floor and carry me until my toes had healed well enough to begin again. Like the time I lost Ed, my husband and earthly dance partner to cancer. |
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I would have given up countless times, but my Ballet Master wouldn’t let me!
I didn’t audition for this ballet. No, the Master Director chose this very clumsy, uncoordinated, unlikely candidate. And I’m so glad He did! It’s been so worth it. Jesus has made me alive like the magician did with the nutcracker. I have such joy, dancing with Jesus and dancing for Jesus!
But I’m not done yet. I’m still dancing the faith steps.
How about you? Have you joined God’s Dance Company? Have you let the Prince of Peace rescue you? You don’t have to audition, just come as you are. You cannot earn your way into God’s Ballet Company. Will you let God choreograph your life—to teach and direct each of your steps?
It’s time to come out of our dressing rooms and dance with our whole hearts. It’s time that we try not to groan and complain when the tune of our lives isn’t beautiful in our ears, or when the dance routine is just too hard and complicated.
- Will you join me and keep practicing the seemingly endless rehearsals?
- Will you persevere and not give up when you fall, and allow Jesus to pick you back up? Will you let Him comfort your aching feet and muscles with His love and balm?
- Will you not listen to any booers or get distracted by noises from the audience?
- Will you accept help from fellow dancers as you learn the dance routine?
- Will you allow your Prince to fight the evil Mouse King for you?
- Are you willing to accept a minor role instead of being the prima ballerina in the spotlight?
Let us listen when the Master Dance Instructor speaks words of encouragement to spur us on or corrects us when we don’t dance right. Let us partner together and try to dance in unison so that the audience of the lost world will see a joyous magnificent ballet where they will gasp in wonder at the amazing leaps, lifts and twirls performed by simple ordinary people like you and me. Perhaps some of them will be motivated to join God’s Dance Company too.
Then at the finale everyone will clap and cheer the One who made it all happen. And we all will keep clapping and cheering (and dancing) our Most High Ballet Producer forever and ever and ever!
Merry Christmas everyone! Now let’s get out there and dance for our Prince!
You can watch the unedited YouTube video of my talk as I make myself look silly for Jesus. I’ll do anything to share the Gospel, even if it includes looking foolish! He’s so worth it!
If you need more information about how to join God’s Dance Company and have a personal relationship with your Creator go here:
Scripture quotations are taken from The Hy Bible: New International Version®. NIV. ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.