Live a Radical Life

Dillon

The other day all the Walkabout students made a day trip to San Marcus where we played at a river
recreation park. We got there excited, ready to play and hang out with one another. We grabbed our river tubes and raced down the little river rapids. As some of us were sitting there by the river, i couldn't help but notice an older man standing on a rock in the middle of the river. He seemed to be be doing some sort of prayer or meditation. He had this in depth focus, and important purpose to what he was doing. I turned to my friend Skylar (who is also a walkabout student) and said to her, "there is something about that man, I bet he has an incredible story, he seems like a man with purpose."  We got back into the water and i didnt think much about it until after lunch.
        When we were through eating we broke into solo time (a time for us to reflect and read some scripture, or pray). For some odd reason i was having a hard time concentrating. So i stood up to walk around a little and collect my thoughts. As i was walking around the van, i saw a couple yards away, that same man that was praying on the rock in the river. I sat down on the curb watching him. He was doing some sort of dance; It looked tribal. Every so often, during his dance he would shout out "YEAH!!" and then jump up and down and say other words I couldn't understand. I began noticing a pattern and could tell when he was about to jump and shout. I was curious and rather enthralled. I felt a force moving me closer. So i stood up and walked to a picnic table not too far from him. I watched him dance some more and was completely captivated. Who was this guy??
        I noticed my heart beating fast and could feel the holy spirit urging me even closer. With every
jump, and "YEAH!!" and stomp the man made, I was pulled closer and closer to the spot where he was dancing; unable to stop the fast beating in my heart. In my mind i was hesitant "what am I doing, what if this man is mentally crazy?" and yet the holy spirit lifted my feet as I walked towards him. Jumping, spinning, stomping, "YEAH!!" As I was walking towards him I laughed out of joy and utter amazement when i looked across the field and saw Skylar and Nathanial walking from, different directions, towards the man also.
        When we finally got to our destination, we all had the same question. I was the first to ask it. "Hi name name is Suzy, and i'm just curious, (*laughing out of joy*) what are you doing?? The man looked at me, his eyes sparkling, and radiating the same joy that I was filled with at the moment. He said "Hi! My name is Dillon, and I think you know what im doing." he said this with a twinkle in his eye. I asked him what he meant by that. He said, "That same God you were reading about, its the same God I dance to, i dance for him. Its how i worship." We all looked at each other, filled with wonder and amazed by how the holy spirit had just moved through all of us.  We shared with him those feelings and how blessed we were by him. In which he responded with, "Dancing is a beautiful thing, im blessed by yall as well. I wish that more people would dance, especially younger people like you. If more people danced to our creator i feel like there would be more joy in the world." He then said, "Well, im gonna be around for a little longer, so if you see me around come and say hi."
        As we walked back to the river, one big word stood out to me; bold. Dillon taught me so much in such a short time. There he was, dancing his heart out in a public park, not worried about being judged by others, not allowing what society says to rule his form of worship. He potentially could have been called crazy, and maybe he was. But that is exactly what happens when we choose to live with boldness instead of fear. When we allow our worship to be genuine. If we are willing to be bold, how many more lives would we be able to touch; even if it were in the smallest ways. Jesus calls us to bold things, if we accept the calling, think of how radical of a life we would live. Free of fear,
worry, and misconceptions. Only full of worship, praise, and joy. We need to be more like Dillon, throwing our hands in the air shouting "YEAH!!" without a care in the world but to worship our creator. Stomping, spinning, and looking crazy, because we serve a crazy God who calls us to crazy things. Be bold, and live a radical life.