March 5, 2010 The Journey Continues

There was once a young soldier who was traveling through the country when he stopped to rest his horse in a small village. As he walked around the small houses, he spotted a wooden fence. On the fence were nearly 40 small chalk circles. In the center of each was a bullet hole.
What amazing accuracy, the soldier thought as he examined the fence. There is not a single shot that has not hit the bull’s eye.
The soldier quickly set out to find the one who possessed such great skill. He was told that the sharpshooter was a small boy. “Who taught you to shoot so well?” the soldier asked. “I taught myself,” the young lad replied. Not yet satisfied the soldier pressed the young boy, “To what do you attribute your great skill?” “Actually,” the young lad began, “it is not very difficult. First, I shoot at the wall and then I take a piece of chalk and draw circles around the holes.”
I have heard this story used over the years to illustrate several points, many of which are not positive. Things like we draw circles around our actions in order to justify ourselves. Or, we draw circles around our actions because we can’t hit the bull’s eye and we want to feel good about our mediocrity. Or, we draw circles around our actions because we’re not in touch with reality enough to even see the bull’s eye!
Lately, however, I have been thinking about this illustration from a completely different perspective -- how we respond when someone or something else is shooting. How do we make the most of opportunities when the target is not where we aimed?
Let’s take Haiti for example. No one in their wildest dreams would have predicted the magnitude of that earthquake. It was a “shot heard round the world,” but not anyone’s target.
Here’s the point! We have taken that event, drawn a circle around it, and hit a bull’s eye with our response! Our Conference has given over $400,000 in the last month for UMCOR Haitian relief! That doesn’t take into account the thousands of health kits that have been constructed to be sent to our sisters and brothers who are hurting. We’ve created a bull’s eye out of a shot that didn’t hit our target!
There are countless stories that fit the illustration. We hear about a life being saved by someone passing by. The passerby was not aiming to save a life, but was on target when the need appeared. How about when an unexpected visitor comes to your church? You didn’t specifically invite them, but your hospitality, welcome, and grace brought them into the life of your church. The ability to be nimble and adaptive is truly a gift for times such as these. Unexpected events in a rapidly changing world require quick and accurate responses.
Sometimes we actually do get to shoot at a target we’ve established. But in this day and time when we get the target in our sights, we discover that the ground is shaking or the target is moving. And in the midst of constant motion and activity, we are tempted to just keep looking at the target and never pull the trigger. It takes great courage to get ready, aim, and fire in our lives and in the ministry of the church. It takes courage because there are always those warning us not to shoot until we have the target firmly in our sights or saying, “Don’t shoot. It’s just too risky.”
While this may be good advice, the history of God’s people reveals that unless someone took a risk to hit the target, the people would have never reached the goal. Given the choice the Israelites would have returned to Egypt and never made it to the Promised Land unless Moses took aim and fired. The disciples of Jesus received his invitation to “come and follow me,” took a chance, immediately dropped their nets, “fired a shot” and followed.
Did Moses and the disciples always hit a bull’s eye? Absolutely not. We have countless stories of their ineptitude and poor eyesight. But the glorious part of those stories is that whenever they missed the target, God was there, saying “I will be your God and you will be my people.” When they missed the target, Jesus was there, saying, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”
Many times when God’s people assumed the posture, took the chance, fired at a target and missed, God was there to draw a circle around their missed shot and create a bull’s eye of possibility, grace and forgiveness that changed the world. Might that not be the essence of Paul’s word to the Romans: “all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose?” (Romans 8:28)
As you are discerning God’s will for your life and work, trying to integrate your faith in a rapidly changing world, and trying to be nimble and adaptive in your leadership, don’t be afraid to take a shot.
But make sure you also have a piece of chalk in your hip pocket, too!
The Journey Continues ...