Keep You Eye On The Target

Two weeks ago I returned to the Canton McKinley Rifle & Pistol Club after almost two years away.

That first day back I knew that I had lost a lot of my skill, but I couldn't believe how much the red dot in my sight was jumping around. I tried to bring it into the black, but it fluttered all over the target. It was never still.

Since the dot was always moving, I began to jerk the trigger as I tried to get the shot off while the dot was in the black. My score was low. I couldn't believe how badly I was doing.

But by the next week I had remembered something important. When you are aiming with a red dot sight, you need to look at the target, not the dot. If you look at the dot you will see how it magnifies your trembling. The more you try to steer it, the more it jumps around the target.

But if you focus on the target center and concentrate on the trigger, the dot will calm down and even appear to stand still sometimes. The gun and your arm are always moving, but the target is still. Focus on the center of the target and you will gradually find the dot there too.

I think that is a good lesson for the Christian life. As long as we look at our various efforts and programs we see the magnification of our flaws. We see our inconsistency and we become discouraged. We are missing the mark. We are erratic.

But if we focus on the goal we will do better. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He is unwavering. Concentrate on him and you will come closer to hitting your mark.