Passé and Retiré
March 25, 2025
Last week, when V showed me the word “PIVOT”, I recalled that I bought a book – “THE PIVOT YEAR” by Brianna Wiest, when I went shopping for books for my grandchildren.
Today, the word “PIVOT” popped up again. This time, it made me think of the ballerina. I recalled a position called Passé in the Pilates Barre class I used to attend before I injured my wrist. Looking it up, I found out another interesting ballet term: Retiré
The Ballet Academy explains (underscore and emphasis mine):
Passé: “to pass”
The movement of the leg passing through the retiré position.
Retiré
The actual position of the dancer in which the working leg is bent with the foot pointed to the front, side or back of the knee of the supporting leg.
Passé and retiré are two iconic ballet steps and positions that anyone (dancer or not) will instantly recognize. Passé is a building block for développés, an important step in adage exercises. Retiré is the position in which dancers hold for pirouettes and oftentimes, jumps. Mastering these two techniques will help you further your training to increase extension (height of your working leg in développés) and improve pirouettes (more turns).
Adage Exercises
I check out the word “adage” in ballet and Apple AI says:
In ballet, "adage" (French for "at ease" or "slowly") refers to a series of slow, graceful, and controlled movements, often performed with a focus on extension, balance, and musicality, typically found in the center practice of a ballet class.
And I knew instinctively what the Lord was telling me.
It is time for me to pass on my work for COBS, to retire gracefully and to be at ease, ready for the next jump or turn (Pivot).
George Muller’s “Retirement”
Remember I mentioned in an earlier post about what truly excited my spirit at the George Muller Museum in Bristol, England last November? Let me show you the picture I took at the museum, the last panel describing his “retirement”:
Now, let me type out the first part of this board:
“When most people would be looking forward to retirement, at the age of 70, George Muller decided to devote the next period of his life to a worldwide ministry of preaching and teaching.
He had three reasons for this:
- He wanted to tell a wider audience of the truths he had discovered about God’s faithfulness;
- He wanted to encourage Christians to become lovers of the Bible;
- He wanted to promote Christian unity by breaking down barriers between different Christian groups.
Over 17 years George Muller travelled 200,000 miles (eight times around the world, and this was before aeroplanes made travel so quick and easy)! He travelled to many different countries, speaking to whomever invited him. He preached on average once a day and addressed three million people in all.”
Now, this is not the retirement I have in mind!
It humbles me even as it thrills me. To be honest, I have none of the passion or ambition of George Muller. Right now, all my 65-year-old body and spirit want to do is to sit back and do nothing. I can only offer a weak smile to the Lord, who, two days ago, offered this encouragement:
“Our lives begin the day we choose to follow our inner knowing…”
Oh wow, my life will truly begin after I pass it on and retire!
I tried to think about what excites and energises me most in life. I long for those years when I was so in love with the Lord, my first love. I was so eager to know this Jesus who saved me from my prideful ignorance that I would go looking for Him everywhere - in bible studies, in fellowships, in talks, in churches, in meetings and so on. All these while coping with a very demanding career and when my mother was gravely ill. And the solo retreats, oh the solitude I so enjoy with Him, to read the Bible, to just sit at His feet to hear His Voice…
Where has all that passion and hunger, and simplicity gone?
I am thrilled now – it is time to follow that inner voice, and return to where I began – to truly live life, a life of great passion, love and simplicity, until the day I return to meet my Beloved, Jesus, in my heavenly home.
May 5, 2025
Today, with much joy and elation, I wrapped up the final post on the Serpent series.
This is possibly my last post on this website and how timely, for V has prepared after this – the amazing life story of Louis and Florence, which was planned and prepared since last November, way before V told me to Passé and Retiré.
They are now in Taiwan where God opened the way for Louis to seek treatment in his fight against liver cancer, after his oncologist in Singapore had exhausted all means available to him and is surprised that he has come so far. He has survived his 4th chemotherapy as I write but I will leave them to tell their incredible journey of faith, which the cell members in their Church had marvelled at and exclaimed, is at a totally different level! We are all in for a treat!
May God bless you all.
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