What the Kansas City Ballet Teaches About Faith at Work Faith at work in the performance of The Nutcracker was like an offering up to God from committed people who gave their entire life to the art of dance.
By Sandi Krakowski Edited by Dan Bova
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I recently went to see an incredible performance of The Nutcracker put on by The Kansas City Ballet. It was a holiday treat to get some of the best seats in the house with good friends and to take time away from the busy-ness of work, to enjoy a night out. As I watched these professional dancers pour their hearts out in their art, a thought came to me that I really didn't expect: "This is faith at work."
Looking around the room, I saw so many little girls dressed up in their holiday best, and of course, they all had on their sparkly best ballet-slipper-style shoes. Leaning forward during the entire performance, watching each move, celebrating and clapping with the audience, one could see dreams swirling in their heads of being on stage one day. I was taken back to a memory of myself at 5 years old when I performed with my ballet company at The Cobo Hall Auditorium in Detroit. It was the biggest performance of my ballet career. It was also one of my last. At one point in my life, I had a girlhood dream of being a professional dancer. I'm not sure if finances, lack of commitment or something else interrupted that career path, but I've never felt cheated, left behind or like I missed my purpose in life, so please, don't feel sorry for me. But as I watched these professionals on stage pouring out a performance that had hundreds of hours of practice behind it, I began to think about who they might have been when they were little, and the thought of dancing for a career entered their heart.
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Did anyone encourage them to fulfill their purpose? Did they struggle in a war for their art, as Steven Pressfield tells us?
Faith at work is when we fulfill what we are designed to do. Some call it purpose, others divine inspiration, but when we reach our life's destiny and we become who we were meant to be there's nothing like it. In my recent best-selling book, BEMORE: 77 Secrets To Your Powerful Life, I share insights on how to find what you are called to and also the battle that awaits you, as you seek to BE what you were designed to be. Faith at work in the performance of The Nutcracker was like an offering up to God from committed people who gave their entire life to the art of dance.
I doubt that in a local church in your area this Sunday you'll hear a pastor or a theologian share on the beauty of dancing as a spiritual offering of love to God. But it is my firm belief that when we SHOW our faith by BEING who we were meant to be, this is truly a demonstration of faith at work.
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When a carpenter creates a beautiful table, or a makeup artist paints a beautiful face, this, too, is faith at work! A janitor cleaning with love and dedication and an accountant keeping books, offering up their service to another person, can also be a demonstration of faith at work, when one does what they are designed to do. It doesn't matter if it's a public position, a high-paying one or even if it's a position that millions of people talk about on social media! If we fulfill what we are called to do, what our purpose and our truest self is designed for, we offer up love to the heavens and we release a gift to the world as well. The real clincher comes when we see a world of disgruntled people who go off to work, day in and day out, to a job they hate, never even knowing they were called to be more.
Their chiseled muscles, smiling faces, each choreographed step was flawless. The Kansas City Ballet was truly an incredible group of people to watch. Their performance was a gift to the world, a form of encouragement and celebration! I wonder how many people in that theater even know that God created celebration, the arts and even the amazing feeling we get in our hearts when we see a performance done flawlessly. I wanted to go back stage and congratulate each one of them, pray for them, bless them and cheer them on. I sat in my seat and prayed for whoever was in the audience that they would be courageous, bold, fierce, and that they would go on to fulfill their destiny, shining brightly!
Faith at work in the performance arts realm was a beautiful thing to see. The next time you think the topic of faith at work simply means pushing others to believe what you believe and making your workplace the latest revival tent, think again. By simply living out loud, in excellence, your divine calling, you offer up a love gift to heaven and you impact the entire world around you. Be more and do it with your whole heart! Faith works, at work!
