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Writer's pictureAmy Briggs

Victory Dance


Everyone I care about has been through something hard this past year or so. Multiple somethings hard. Life has really thrown it at us all. A few weeks ago, those hard things resulted in me muttering out loud ‘ok satan. You win. I’m done.’


I’m not done. Not even close, but it sure felt that way in that moment. It led me to a lot of prayer and a lot of being honest with myself (and others) about what I have been carrying. Breakthroughs often require some breaking.


I was reminded in multiple ways that small victories are still real victories. I shouldn’t discredit those seemingly insignificant steps. The ground we gain in battle is sometimes hard fought for, and some wars are long. Too long to wait until they are over to have joy in each small win.


My daughter asked me this a few years ago. More than a few, but it’s still a really good question.


“Mom, what’s your victory dance?” That stumped me. I can honestly say that I didn’t know the answer. My then seven-year-old daughter was doing a killer dance in the middle of the living room. End zone of the Super Bowl worthy dance. The arms, the knees, the fists… it was going down for real. And I didn’t know what to say. Every fiber of my being wanted to get up and get down and put a big smile on that cute face. But I sat there. We all have moments like this. Moments where the words won’t come, and we just plain get stage fright. Moments where we can’t find our victory dance. Moments where we need to remember a few things.


We aren’t perfect. And love doesn’t expect us to be. You don’t have to complete every day’s to do list. You don’t have to win big battles to win the war… small ones get you there, too. You won’t always have all the answers. It’s ok to say you don’t know. It will remind us we don’t have to have all the answers. It will remind us that it’s ok to be human. To make mistakes. Because we will. And when we do, we need to still love ourselves. Don’t try to be perfect. Be messy. Be real.


Everyone deserves grace. There are so many pressures and expectations. There are too many Instagram pics and Pinterest parties to live up to. Resist the push to compare what you do to what others do. Sometimes, we are just too tired to dance. Kids understand this. God understands this. Give yourself the grace they give you.


We do get a second chance. Don’t let one stumbling block (or two, or ten) or lost battle stop you. Keep trying. Keep going. Dance the next time. Maybe even before you’re asked. Make your mistakes, learn something, and try again. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Bounce back. You’re a rock star. A warrior. A child of God. And God has already won the war. He calls us to walk in victory… not just to it. Because we walk in this confidence, we can celebrate along the way. Right now. Every small victory is worthy of joy.


Jesus longs to see our joy. When we celebrate each tiny step we take, we are worshiping Him. It is His strength that brings each victory. We all need to celebrate our successes. To enjoy this wonderful, messy, difficult life we live. We need to remind ourselves why we are fighting and who we fight for. We need to dance and skip and run in a sprinkler. To have faith like a child.


I’m still working on my victory dance. And it will be epic. I’m going to get my arms, my knees, my fists… it’s going down for real. And the next time I do something awesome, I’m doing it. Right in the middle of the living room. Or maybe even a hospital elevator. Everyone needs a victory dance.


Have I won the war? Not yet. Not hardly. But maybe. Just maybe, we need to celebrate not losing, too. Each day we choose to keep going on to the next day is a victory. So let’s dance. What will yours look like tonight?


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