We Sang and Danced Forever and a Day...

You've heard the song.

"Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end, we sang and danced forever and a day..." etc.

Catchy tune, catchy rhythm, mesmerizing lyrics. My mother took my sister and I to see "Shout: The Mod Musical" at Stars Dinner Theater in Bakersfield last weekend. They sang that song. Everyone sang along happily and some people in the audience even stood up and danced. But I sat there wincing.

I hate that song. Every time I hear it, I vacillate between wanting to sing along and wanting to somehow turn it off (a difficult thing to do when you're watching musical theater.)

 It's a song of loss...a song of time passing and moments that can't be recaptured.

We all have a love/hate relationship with the passage of time. On one clock hand, it can be good that time passes- we don't want to be stuck forever in hard times, or painful times, or dull times. Time heals wounds, time gets us through labor pains and learning curves.

But on the other clock hand, every day, every minute, and every second that passes is one more moment used up, never to be regained.

I want my 3-month old son to learn to sit up and then crawl and then walk, but I also know that every day that passes where he grows bigger and stronger is one day fewer that I have to share with him. 

It makes me too sad to even think about. It makes me want to run away to Never-Never Land and never grow up. I would if I could take everyone with me.

I suppose that's where Faith comes in. I have to believe that everything good and true that was ever lost will be restored one day when we all get to heaven.

And that brings me to a song I like better.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives.

I'll dance to that.