Hope's Dance

This weekend, a dance troupe in Abilene is performing. Several of the pieces were created and choreographed by the dancers themselves. One of them is by a young woman who dedicated it to Olivia.

I remember first getting to know Hope 13 years ago. I was working as an intern with our church, and we had a fellowship out at a nearby lake. Hope was 3, and just about as full of spark as anyone I'd ever met. She made me want to be a father someday.

I baptized Hope a few years latter, and she (along with her sister and her parents) have been good friends to Olivia and me. I just didn't realize how much she was paying attention to our lives.

She knows our story: She knows about Olivia's fight with Lupus, about the 5 children we have placed in the Lord's hands, she knows about our love for and belief in her, and about our shared faith in Jesus. Somehow, by God's grace, Hope has seen us turn to the Lord over and over.

Moreover, Hope loves Olivia, and that brings me great joy. Olivia has a gift she doesn't often get to use to its full capacity: Olivia is real, and can be real with children, teenagers, and women of all ages. She doesn't pretend. She doesn't mince words. She doesn't just sit by and watch. Olivia believes: she prays, she cries, she fights, she sees beauty where others see only pain; she believes God. Olivia trusts the Lord completely.

And, Hope knows this. Hope has seen this.

Of course, I think Olivia is the most amazing person I've ever known in my life, but I'm her husband, so you might not believe me when I tell you how amazing she is. So, take it from Hope. The paper here printed an article about the dance troupe, and Hope's piece, "Voice of Grace".

The fact that Hope designed her whole dance around Olivia and her faith in God says something in and of itself, but her words say it even more clearly:

"Being in her presence makes me want to be a better person. You can look on the brighter side of things and keep going. There's good that can come out of every situation."


Thank you, Hope, for giving a voice to the things I wish the world could see about my bride. Thank you for your friendship to us. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your dance.

Comments

Kara Chupp said…
I LOVE that you call your wife amazing. These comments about her are beautiful.
Just read your comment on our "Selah" post...
And can see why you "get" the heartache.
Eyes upward friend...looking to Heaven and eternity with those little-ones-loved.
Blessings to you and your crew.
~K @ The Chuppies
May 3, 2012 at 10:11 PM
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