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It’s almost the New Year, and many of us are thinking of making the obligatory resolution to try something new. We make these resolutions with good intentions, but most of the time, we fail to follow through. I’ve put my hand to many things in an attempt to discover a hidden talent or to better myself. I’ve tried embroidery, cross-stitching, painting, pottery, and numerous other crafty things. But my bravest ever attempt at something new happened a few years ago when I tried Bollywood dancing. Yes, you read this correctly. Yes, I tried my best to fit in with Bollywood. For those who might not have heard of Bollywood dance, it is a form of dance from India. Mind you, I kind of stumbled into it, but I still gave it a try. Read on if you are brave!

Fair to middling

I’m a lifetime fitness enthusiast. I have found a way to exercise everywhere I have lived. My determination to work out has often presented me with some challenges, but I’ve always been ready for a challenge. Before I go any further, let me say that I’m not very good at most exercises. My skills can be classified as “fair to middling” when it comes to fitness. But I am up to try anything new in my years-long endeavor to stay strong.

When we lived in Lilongwe, Malawi, in the early 2000s, I found a small group of ladies who welcomed me to exercise with them. I enjoyed the classes and learned a lot in the process of training. It was also a great opportunity to share Christ with people I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. I made several friends and am in touch with a couple of them to this day.

Accustomed to working out alone

It was with great hope then, when we moved to Blantyre, Malawi, in 2016 to plant a church, that I looked for a similar group to join. With the help of social media, I quickly found several fitness groups. But only one piqued my interest. It promised 30 minutes of cardio training and 30 minutes of strength training. While I’ve grown accustomed to working out alone, I do like finding others who have the same fitness interests as me. The class met on a Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. I waited anxiously for the day of my first class to arrive.

Finding the venue wasn’t too difficult, even for me, the most directionally challenged person in our family. There were many cars parked out in front of the house where the class was to take place. I parked my car and followed a couple of other ladies who were obviously coming to exercise as they were carrying their workout mats. We walked into what once was a garage. It had been transformed into an exercise studio, and mirrors were mounted along the walls. I noticed that everyone scouted out and claimed a spot quickly, as the class was full. There was an inconspicuous spot in an open corner in the back of the room. I set my mat down and smiled at the ladies on each side of me. Everyone seemed to be very fit, and most of the ladies were speaking in Arabic.

It’s time to Bollywood dance

As with most exercise classes I’ve taken over the years, we began with a stretch, which was nice. I was pleased that I managed all the stretches with everyone else. Once we had finished stretching, the background music changed from a slow warmup pace to something much faster and a bit foreign to me. And my heart began to pound as I realized this class was more than what I thought. Suddenly the instructor said, “Alright everyone, it’s time to Bollywood dance!” The atmosphere changed, and everyone began moving in ways that I had never seen. The instructor and other ladies in the class tried their best to teach me the steps, but it was to no avail. The moves in Bollywood dance are akin to belly dancing, and as I watched myself in the mirror in front of me, I burst out laughing. All the ladies in the class were great. They encouraged me to keep trying even though I failed at every step.

Thus ended my Bollywood career before it even began. No matter how hard I might have tried, I simply wasn’t able to follow the steps. I even tried to go back a second time, and it was worse than the first time! It was back to working out alone for me, but it can never be said of me that I didn’t try Bollywood dance.

Not depending on our talent

The call of God, thankfully, doesn’t depend on our natural talent. God’s will for our lives only depends on our willingness to answer the call. When we first landed in Zaire in 1987, we didn’t have a clue where to begin. What could we do in the face of so much need, both physical and spiritual?

It wasn’t until I understood that God doesn’t look for talent that I was able to actually do something. He looks for obedience. When we obey, He supplies whatever we lack to get His work done. The key here is understanding that the work He calls us to do is His work. It’s not our own.

"Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

Hebrews 13:20,21 ESV

Looking for donkeys

1 Samuel 10:1–10 gives the account of the choosing of Israel’s first king, Saul. Saul didn’t come from a rich or popular family. In fact, when he was anointed king, he was on his way to find his father’s donkeys that had gone missing. Imagine a king out looking for lost donkeys. It just doesn’t seem right. Kings and donkeys aren’t meant to be mentioned in the same sentence.

What Saul did, however, was follow instructions at that point, and when the time was right, God changed him into what he needed to be for the task assigned to him:

“Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.”

1 Samuel 10:6 NKJV

The work of God clearly can’t be done if we base doing His will on our qualifications. Clearly, none of us qualify, just like Saul didn’t qualify to be king. The needs of this world are devastating, and without Jesus at the center of it all, it would be impossible. Without God’s power empowering us, we’re just out looking for donkeys.

Today, allow God to exchange your lack for His abundance, your weakness for His strength, and your nature for His. It won’t be like Bollywood dancing was for me, flipping and flopping all over the place. You’ll find yourself keeping pace and walking in step with His plans. Then, you will see the impossible become possible.

“The call of God is an expression of God’s nature, not ours

Oswald Chambers