I Hope You Dance

It keeps happening.

The song "I Hope You Dance" has a special meaning in my family, because I did that song at my sister's funeral. It was popular 5-6 years ago, played all the time, and the message is something I felt Donna would have wanted to pass on to our friends. But I'm starting to think there's more to it than that, because it pops up again at the strangest times.

The first time I noticed it was when I went in for my heart biopsy. They don't give you anesthesia for that, so I was awake on the table, and this song came on just as they started taking little nibbles out of my heart wall. It wasn't even a country station--the doctor was playing a mix radio station. Interesting coincidence.

But then I started noticing it coming on at other times, seemingly always when I needed some sort of guidance or calming. Right before my chemistry final, when I was feeling very sick from flu and praying I would be able to make it through the test. The night my adoption loan was approved and I started to wonder if I was doing the right thing (this process is a little scary, after all!). Seems like every time I'm facing the question "Should I?", I hear this song.
Then yesterday. I was very exhausted from trying to be ready for the health department inspection. Call it paranoia, but Rick and I spent a lot of time trying to get things just so. About the only thing I didn't do is alphabetize the canned goods in the pantry. After a few nights with little to no sleep, I was feeling very stressed out, and I could feel my heart rate and blood pressure going up as I got closer to home and my appointment with the inspector.
What should happen just as I turn into the road leading to my housing development? Of course--the one thing that could calm me down at that point. On comes the song, some guy dedicating it to his wife.

Coincidence? Don't think so. If you listen to the words of that song, the message is clear. I think God and my sister are up there smiling, having come up with their own little version of the Nike "Just Do It" slogan. Whether it's school, or the adoption, or whatever challenge I need to overcome next, I think God is telling me to go ahead and take a chance at doing the things that will bring me happiness. It's very comforting to get little signs like this occasionally. It gives me hope that this really will all work out.