Dancing Hearts

My sweet, just-turned-eleven-year-old granddaughter sent me Valentine greetings from Tennessee! She had covered an entire page with cut-outs of smiling, crayoned hearts with Sharpie-penned arms and legs flying in joyous dance, above which was printed, "I Love You."  She also sent a marker-drawn rainbow and the words, "You are my rainbow...When I have a bad day...You always know...What to say."

And to think I hadn't sent her a Valentine this year!  I called her and thanked her, though, for the sweet sentiments that make a Mimi's heart happy.  The dancing hearts reminded me of a singing ministry family who used to visit our church in Mississippi more than 30 years ago.  They were from Scotland, and dressed in their plaids and kilts they sang their signature song, "Dancing Heart," in their inimitable, joyous style: "Oh, the Holy Ghost will set your feet a-dancing, and set your heart a-dancing, too!"

For the first time in all those years I heard the song on the radio recently and realized it must have had a resurgence in popularity, even as I became aware that the ministry they started is still alive and well.  The Bible says in Proverbs 16:9 that man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps, which seems to be the case for them.

Often I have plans for the day or an event, and things turn out to be a complete surprise.  I agreed when my husband asked if I would like to go out for an early Valentine dinner on Thursday evening.  But, on impulse I suggested that since it was the first beautiful weather we'd had in weeks, we go to Stillwater for lunch and shopping.

Then for Valentine's day, I made a special roast beef supper, and Howard bought a chocolate Valentine cake for dessert.  After supper, opting to skip "The Waltons," my favorite program (I had just viewed two episodes when I heard the news of Ralph Waite's passing!), we decided on something I'd never seen before.  We had a fascinating evening watching a show about extreme tree-house building!

The sadness of hearing about "John Walton" was softened somewhat when I read about his life.  I didn't know he started out as an ordained minister, then later became a heavy drinker.  He said that he couldn't bear to portray such a wholesome character and live that life style, so he reformed, saying that Hollywood had saved his life.  He was active in a Presbyterian fellowship at the time of his death . It was said that he died of a "tired heart," but by the spirit he exhibited in his TV role and, by all reports, in real life, God had given him a "dancing heart."