Strong Stance and On-Target

Roughly two years ago on Christmas morning, I unwrapped one of the coolest gifts I've ever gotten: a forty-pound recurve bow and a set of thirty-inch arrows. Many of you know that I am an author of young adult fantasy books, and a requisite part of most of my stories is at least one character who knows how to wield a bow with excellence (at least as excellent as Robin Hood, or more modernly, Katniss Everdeen), and someone who wears knee-high moccasins (See associated picture; yes, that's me, living the dream).

I had the moccasins already thanks to my beloved friend and editor, who had read about these moccasins in my books until she figured out I was just a tiny bit obsessed; I just needed the bow, and my husband - bless him - delivered. I dove into archery practice in my backyard.

Swiftly, I learned three things (well, I learned a lot more; I'll keep it to three here):

1.) I needed to aim with my dominant eye. Each person has a dominant eye; sometimes left, sometimes right, and you can Google how to figure out which is your dominant eye. When I focused on my target with my non-dominant eye, the arrow went wild. My aim was far truer when I used the correct eye.

2.) I needed to utilize my core strength to get my bow to full-draw. Forty pounds may not seem like much to some of you muscle-y types out there, but it was really difficult for me to pull that string clear back to my jaw and anchor it there. I had to tighten my core muscles, my lats, and my trapezius (the top center of my back) to work in concert with my biceps and triceps as I pulled the string back. It was a whole body effort, but those muscles in particular had to collaborate.

3.) I needed to have a strong stance. I started out with my body facing the target in a full-frontal position, and when I drew the bow, not only was it supremely awkward, the arrow rarely even reached the target. When I turned my body to a 90-degree angle from the target, set my feet with equal weight, and tightened my core, I could draw the string to my jaw, aim, and hit the target nearly every time. (Once, I even split an arrow, which made every nerdy chamber of my heart sing with joy).

Why am I geeking out over archery this morning? Hold your horses; I'm getting there.

I've decided to read through the book of Acts again, because in some ways, I sense that the post-ascension church has a similar feel to the current day church (also post-ascension, but just... way post-ascension). Acts 2:42-47: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day, they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of the people (emphasis mine; you'll see why in a sec). And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Can't you just feel the excitement in the air? The overwhelming joy in the Spirit? The tension of "God is doing a good thing here, and He's making me a part of it!" Does this sound familiar at all? It sure does to me. The favor of the people was with the apostles; everybody liked them!

And then... only a few chapters later, the clouds blew in on the winds of change and covered the sun in Acts 6:9: "Opposition arose." Acts 6:12: "So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law." Acts 8:1b: "On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria."

To be clear, I don't think that it's necessarily the case that the church today will mirror the immediately-post-ascension church, but I do think that where there is a move of the Holy Spirit to turn the hearts of people to Him... there will be such a push-back from the enemy. We need to brace ourselves, set our feet firmly, and tighten our core muscles, because the Spirit is moving; He is preparing His bride to meet Him!

It's going to be easy, in the melee of the battle, to take our focus off of the end-game, the ultimate, final seconds of the match. It's going to be easy - and tempting - to only hear the smaller battles happening around us and in our immediate vicinity. But 2 Peter 3:11-13 says: "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming (Your kingdom come, Your will be done, Lord!). That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness."

What an end-game! What an ultimate finish, and what a victory! Peter was the one who wrote this, the same Peter who had been a part of that immediate-post-ascension church, and after a few years of perspective, the same Peter who said: "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Over the course of Acts, he adjusted his vision from the short-term game: expecting Jesus any day - to the long-term end-game: "The Lord is not slow as some understand slowness."

Where is our focus? Are we using our dominant eye to see the end-game? That focus informs our battle. Y'all, it's gonna be intense for a while, and we're going to get tired - sooo tired, discouraged, maybe even wonder how we'll keep on keeping on.

God has promised in many places to fight for us, though; here's one of my favorite places, because - archery, obviously. Psalm 18:30-36 says: "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and Your right hand sustains me; You stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn."

When my hand is tired of wielding my sword... it is God who arms me with strength.

When my feet are so tired that I can hardly put one in front of the other... it is God who makes my feet like the feet of a deer and enables me to stand on the heights.

When my arms are sagging from the weight of my armor... it is God who trains my hands for battle and lets me bend a bow of bronze (a crazy strong metal! I think it's tough to pull my maple and fiberglass bow; try bending a bow of bronze!).

When I can't lift my shield any longer... God's right hand sustains me; He stoops down and makes me great.

When I'm weaving in exhaustion... God clears the path in front of me so that I don't stumble.

But when the enemy has been cut down and the way is clear, we can see that point on the horizon where the end is, where our prize is: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

I'm praying for strength in the battle today, focus on the end-game-prize, bracing for the storm, endurance through the fight. I'm praying for communion with the One who fills us up, so that we - His warriors - are shoulder to shoulder, a cohesive interlocking battalion that fights perfectly together, in unity. Zephaniah 3:9: "Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder."