What are You Aiming For?

I think my dad always wanted a son. When I was much younger, he would take me into the woods with him to teach me how to fire a rifle. I loved spending time with him so I willingly went.

He started me out shooting at empty beer cans and I was pretty good at it, so eventually he had me shooting at targets on a fence. I did alright but wasn’t usually able to hit a bullseye. After much practice I did get closer though. His next directive was to shoot a squirrel or a rabbit. I failed him miserably because I just couldn’t do it. Inanimate objects were one thing, but a living creature? No. Way.

I would close my eyes too tightly to see them or make so much noise, they ran away before I ever touched the trigger. Eventually he gave up and told me I was a wimp. I had a friend who had no hesitation and he praised her instead. My heart was broken but at least I wasn’t a killer and could sleep well at night.

I learned a valuable lesson in hindsight. You can’t possibly hit a target you’re not focusing on.With my eyes closed, I shot everywhere except the object I was asked to hit. You have to have a set goal, your eyes open, and good aim. Where the head goes, so goes the rest of the body. My head was turned away from the targets so how was I to hit them?

What are you aiming for in life? Are you keeping your eyes open so you can see changes or obstacles, or are you aiming blindly? Humans can easily be distracted which leads to a lack of focus. We have to work hard to maintain our concentration and commitment. If you feel that your goal is moving further away from you, check to see where you’re really focused.

I wanted to make my dad proud but doing so would have violated my conscience. It’s one thing to set a goal, but if you can’t commit to it because it goes against who you are, you’ll never hit it. Be true to yourself; don’t sell out for someone else’s benefit. Jesus never compromised His own purpose or values, neither should we.