You can't hit your target

...if you're using someone else's site.

I learned this when I went to an archery safety class recently. That colorful target was in front of me and one of the instructors even put a small yellow balloon onto the center of the target. Oh how I wanted to puncture that balloon and hear it's loud pop, alerting everyone that I had hit the bulls eye!

Except I had no experience even holding a bow much less shooting one! I learned my dad has owned his bow since 1976! He seems proud to announce that date. haha.

So here I was, weak armed and horrible form...longing to hit the target in front of me. The equipment we were all using belonged to the park. It was basically community property and they allow anyone to use them for the classes.

I kept hitting the target but not the balloon. I was sharing the target with another woman who had done archery before (do you *do* archery?) but it had been a few years. Her arrows were usually off the target and too high for her to retrieve so I would retrieve them for her.

We spent the time encouraging each other and joking around. After I missed the balloon again, I told her, "Ok, your turn. I left the balloon for you."

She later gives me a tip and tells me to quit using the 'site'. On the front of the bow is a small metal piece that has a circle. You close one eye and focus on the circle. You line the circle up with your target and, theoretically, your arrow should hit whatever you were aiming at in the circle.

However, since the the bows are basically community property, they are not personally adjusted. You do the best you can with what you have.

Once she gave me that seeming tiny bit of advice...I stopped looking through the circle. I used my own eye to focus on the target. I ended up with three bulls eyes even though I never popped that tiny yellow balloon.

The bow wasn't mine. It was not set up for me. If it was, the site would have been accurate to my own eye.

If we are looking at a situation in our lives through the filter of other people's lenses or eyes...we will never really hit our target in life either. We may come close but it will never truly be accurate. Our most accurate 'site' is only going to be Christ. We can not try to view situations or even problems through any one else's eye--it just won't work.

We can also apply this lesson to our weaponry. The bow I was using was not fitted for me. If it were my own weapon, it would be just the right weight, it would feel comfortable in my hand, not too heavy not too light. The weapon would be well cared for because I would be valuing it and caring for it.

God has given each of us gifts and talents in this life. Weapons for supernatural warfare, for handling the daily issues that arise. If we try to use someone else's weapon, that is not fitted for us, again, we may come close to hitting our target but we will never be truly accurate.

Don't look to your friends and try to emulate what God has given them. Use what God has given you. He has given it to you for a reason. And if you can't see your target very well and you don't know how to aim---ask HIM for guidance and direction. He has a very clear view because He sees our lives in it's entirety. Our human vision is limited.

Always use the correct site and you'll hit your target, your bulls eye even, every time!

arg! my pix aren't working...hope I can resolve the issue soon. sorry.