Dancing in the Minefields
August 9, 2010 | My Jottings
A few weeks ago a thoughtful reader wrote to me and sent a link to a song and music video. I had never heard of the artist, Andrew Peterson, but I was immediately struck by the truth and power of the lyrics. I can’t think of a more apt way to describe marriage then “dancing in the minefields.” Maybe it’s even a more appropriate title for a Christian marriage, because I really believe that a Christian marriage is targeted by the enemy of our souls from the moment the two believers say “I do” in the name of Jesus.
Here is what the artist says about how and why he wrote this song:
“In December of 2009 my wife and I celebrated fifteen years of marriage. A few days later, we got in a silly argument and I wrote this song after she went to bed. Marriage, see, was God’s idea. It’s one of the most potent metaphors in all of Scripture for the way God loves us and the way we’re to let ourselves be loved by him. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. To the contrary, it’s fraught with peril. Any good marriage involves a thousand deaths to self—the good news is, in Christ that marriage involves at least as many resurrections. We lay our lives down and enter this perilous dance with another human being who has done the same. Why should we expect to emerge unscathed?”
I’ve put the lyrics to the song below so you can follow along if you like. I also love how in the background the words “don’t give up on me” are softly sung.
Well I was 19 you were 21
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway
We got the rings for 40 each from a pawnshop down the road
We said our vows and took the leap now 15 years ago
Chorus:
And we went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
Well “I do” are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I’ve heard is a good place to begin
Cause the only way to find your life is to lay your own life down
And I believe it’s an easy price for the life that we have found
Chorus:
And we’re dancing in the minefields
We’re sailing in the storm
And this is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
That’s what the promise is for
Bridge:
So when I lose my way, find me
When I lose love’s chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith
to the end of all my days
when I forget my name, remind me
Cause we bear the light of the Son of man
So there’s nothing left to fear
So I’ll walk with you in the shadow lands
Till the shadows disappear
Cause He promised not to leave us
And His promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos baby
I can dance with you
Chorus:
So let’s go dancing in the minefields
Let’s go sailing in the storms
Oh let’s go dancing in the minefields
And kicking down the doors
Oh let’s go dancing in the minefields
And sailing in the storms
Oh this is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
That’s what the promise is for
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I hope if you know anyone who might be blessed by hearing this song, you’ll refer them here. And may God strengthen us all as we dance in our own minefields.
Or shuffle, or plod in the minefields…whatever.
(Matthew 19:6)
Dear Julie,
Such a blessing, every time I hear this song my spirit flutters in harmony with the words. I finally got my husband to sit down and watch this beside me a week or so ago, even though he’s not into folk music. He knows how much I respect the songwriters’ intergrity in attempting to write songs that glimmer God’s truth, and so my husband sat and listened. And squeezed my hand firmly, and nodded when I pointed out the overlaping “Don’t Give Up On Me” lyric, and hid a welling tear by turning to look at our view of the High Bridge.
Then, perhaps an hour later we hit a small mine, but seemed to not react by selfishly pointing out our own minor wounds and instead were able to see each other through the settling rubble to begin the clean-up right away. It’s those times when we trust the Holy Spirit to really heal us, that we do maneuver with more grace and side-step our flesh. But, it doesn’t happen that often nor that smoothly.
So, thanks for admonishing all those who read your posts with this song. Many blessings!
Thank you for sharing what you have here, Shelley. And for this song and video – I’ve ordered some of his CDs, thanks to you….
What a nice man and what a nice video: though I was a little taken aback to find him sitting on his chair in his denim jeans in the middle of a river at the end. People, eh… what are they like?
Something that has surprised me about being married is that even when I’d done the journey and make the discovery and finally realised that in all the snarls and tangles the problem is not him but myself, it still didn’t make it any easier.
Yes…*sigh*…
God bless you Ember.
Here I am, once again…
Ember: So yes. The chair. On another site it was speculated that it’s an analogy to marriage is “all or nothing” even if one gets a little water logged. I tend to not read too much into those things though.
Julie: And CDs, my oldest daughters’ favorite Christmas song is “Labor of Love” (off of the Behold the Lamb of God album) but she has named it ‘It was not a silent night’ which really confused her Sunday School teachers this last year when they asked for favorite carol requests. Quite humorous really. I know I have been given or own almost all of AP’s stuff, and each is a musical and Spirit-led endeavor. Enjoy!