Abigail

Shaffer

Contributing Writer

Abigail is a CBN writer who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in creative writing from Regent University. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys dancing and acting in local theatre productions.

More from Abigail Shaffer

The Big Gift

Felicity first entered my life when I was nine. I was a late bloomer when it came to reading. But as soon as I could read fluently, I was hooked on the Felicity books by the American Girl company.

Eventually, I found out that they also made a Felicity doll, and it was the only thing I wanted for Christmas that year. Unfortunately, this was during a time when my parents’ combined income was meager. My father and mother expressed that they simply couldn’t afford the $100 doll.

I spent the rest of the year poring through American Girl catalogues, but I never again thought about owning the doll. I understood that if the money wasn’t there, there was no use wishing for it.

Then, Christmas came. There were many presents under the tree with my name on them. Honestly, I didn’t remember much about them except that Mom told me to save the long, rectangular present, on the bottom, for last.

Every year, my siblings and I each received a “big gift” that we would save for last. It was always the present that would top all the others, so I figured that that oblong box was my “big gift.” And it was. I will never forget the awe that I felt as I undid the wrapping and saw the Felicity doll inside.

To this day, I don’t know how my parents did it. Felicity became my best friend. She went everywhere with me, and I still have her today. She’s become a precious reminder of the childhood miracles that happen at Christmas.

Leap of Faith

Ballet has been a part of my life since I was a little girl, dreaming of being a ballerina. Even now, as an adult, I still dance and take classes. There is something in the beauty and purity of ballet that always leads me back to the Creator.

Many times when stretching on the ballet barre, I’ve contemplated how flexibility is paramount to being a good dancer. It’s impossible to perform most ballet steps, from simple pliés to complicated leaps, without being willing to stretch further than is comfortable for me.

It’s the same way with God. So often we think our own ideas and dreams for our lives are best, yet, when we leave our comfort zones and give in to God, we find that His plan was the better one all along.

Few people when watching ballet realize the strenuous work that goes into each graceful movement. Sometimes when I pry my feet from my pointe shoes, I’m in so much pain that I wonder if it’s really worth it. But the answer is always yes, because most things done well require work.

The Bible seems to agree. James 1:3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NLT says, When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. If the Christian life wasn’t challenging, we’d break at the first test of faith.

No pun intended, but ballet is a leap of faith. Few dancers perform entirely alone, so it’s important to rely on your partner or team for timing and uniformity. Without that faith, dance would lack fluidity and you would have no one to rely on if something went wrong.

Faith is also the cornerstone of a relationship with God, yet so often we forget to rely on Him. Although He is the one leading our lives, we begin to treat our Christian walk as a solo venture, but it isn’t.

No matter what we face, whether it’s something that seems impossible or something we think we can handle, God is there every step of the way, ready to catch us when we lose our balance. The Christian life is a beautiful dance of faith, and to me, that’s something even more beautiful than ballet.