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The arrival to our annual Daddy-Daughter Valentine’s Dance was posh this year with valet parking, corsages upon entry, and a formal photo shoot before heading into the exhibits area for this year’s dance, The National Gallery of Heart: Love on Display.  The girls and their dates visited several exhibitions, including the Hope Diamond room where they fashioned their own version of the necklace or the Portrait Gallery where dads and daughters could choose a frame to draw their own work of art right on the wall!  A bit later in the evening, the Dessert Café opened with a sundae bar, and then came the big reveal in the auditorium with a freshly-installed wooden dance floor and a DJ showcasing some struttin’ music!  With a little over 200 folks in attendance, the night was brimming with joyful laughter and sweet smiles.

At one point in the evening, everyone was assembled to discuss that there are lots of ways that dads can put “Love on Display” for their wives and children.  However, the only perfect example of “Love on Display” in history was Jesus Christ’s death on the cross (John 15:13).  Jesus took on the penalty that we deserve for the times when we don’t love perfectly, forgave us for the times when we turn away from Him, and opened the door for us to live with Him in heaven for eternity.  All we need to do is trust in what Jesus has already done for us. Jesus truly is, always, love on display.

For myself personally, there was never a moment to sit as I poised my volunteers for the next transition in the evening’s agenda or checked on the maraschino cherry stash.  I’m so thankful that my duties kept me in and out of every room constantly throughout the night so that I could witness the fun and the awed faces of the couples with each new reveal!  My eyes vigilantly searched in the nooks and corners in each room and I was never disappointed in the findings as I saw dads and their girls involved one-on-one in their own conversations, whether it was answering some questions we posed in their Gala Guide, or telling their own stories as they worked their way through each gallery exhibit.

The girls and their dates were blessed with a dedicated crew of volunteers and several staff members who made this night shine!  May we be blessed to continue this event for years to come.

Have a story from the Daddy-Daughter Dance you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or drop us an email at stories@restonbible.org.