Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Scribble and Scrambles - Tuesday's Kelly Thoughts

Possible lame post warning. Keep reading at your own risk. Of course, it's likely you consider all my posts lame but keep coming back in hopes that you'll find something of value.

If you don't follow Dancing With the Stars, think Hollywood Squares and musical chairs melded with serious physical challenges and you may have a good idea what the show is about. Basically, celebrities of all types are paired with professional dancers and taught to dance. Those with the highest scores, half professional judges, half popularity with anyone who takes the time to dial or click, move on to the next week and start all over again with a new challenge.

Dancing With the Stars (DWS) is a guilty pleasure. I've watched a total of three reality television shows and this is one. I decided to give it a try since I actually had three free hours one week. Yeah right! (Watching on the Internet makes it less painful since commercials are very limited.) Now I'm hooked.

I've watched and loved Trading Spaces and What Not to Wear before DWS and thought I liked them for the practical advice and all the pretty colors. But then I realized that there is serious spiritual allegory and application in both of those shows. (Yeah, I'll share my thoughts some day.)

As I've watched the unfurling drama in DWS, I've discovered some fascinating truths there, too. Each week a Olympic gold medalist and NFL player of the year are pitted against...actors and all of a sudden viewers are able to see changes within the competitors. Big changes. People who started out thinking DWS might be great exercise, some nice visibility and/or fun realize they want to see the thing through.

Instead of snarkiness and backbiting, there seems to be a developing family that cheers for and actually wants to see others succeed. Each week brings another mix-up and another contender rises to the surface.

Everyone realizes that each week is new and challenging for all and all are at the mercy of judges, benevolent or not so benevolent.

What an interesting picture of Christianity as it should be. All of us with our own unique talents and experiences working toward the same goals, cheering on those who rock at the Samba while we may excel at the Viennese Waltz, knowing that our performance is only part of the process and that the process itself is the major point.

The process that shapes and changes me so that I can begin to see myself as I need to so that I can do what I was created to do.