Last week my staff team went away for a staff retreat for two days to discuss some things, slow down the pace a little, and have a little fun. As an afternoon “team bonding” event, we went skeet shooting.
At first I stood to the side and said, “I’ll just watch.” I was a little uncomfortable about shooting a shotgun and knew it was out of my comfort zone. But the guys encouraged me to step out and try something new and challenging. They were very patient and helpful in showing me how to hold the gun, when to pull the trigger, and how to aim for the target, which I missed every time.
But as I was standing there, I thought, there must be some spiritual principles I can glean from this experience. And as a team, we came up with several. I wanted to pass them along.
- Teamwork is better than the “lone ranger” mentality.
- No one is perfect. Everyone misses once in awhile.
- Use your shots wisely.
- Keep your gun pointed in the right direction. Don’t aim at your buddy (or at your foot).
- Don’t compare yourself to others.
- Stay focused; avoid distractions or you’ll never hit your target.
- You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
- A little competition is good for you. It challenges you to be better.
- Be teachable. Let others help you in your weak areas.
- Be willing to step out of your comfort zone.
I’m glad I didn’t let my comfort zone or fear hold me back from trying something new. It was fun and I needed to be stretched. Plus, I learned something new!
What’s something you’ve done recently that is outside of your comfort zone? Perhaps you have some spiritual lessons to share from it.
Crickett,
Great post, and I’m glad you’re back from India. I missed last week’s post!
Something new I tried recently was to fry chicken. I love to cook, but that’s one dish I’ve never been able to make. I love to eat fried food (too much!), but the art of frying is something I just can’t grasp — which may be for the best. Anyway, it’s been a few years and I thought I would give it another shot. It wasn’t bad, but Publix or KFC does it twice as good, for a fraction of what I spent on oil alone, and it wouldn’t have made my house smell like a grease trap. So this is one dream I’m putting to rest, and from now own I’ll let the Colonel fry my chicken.
As for spiritual lessons, well I know it sounds silly to compare God to KFC, but as I was trying to figure out what to do with all that oil and wondering why I hadn’t just bought a bucket like any smart person would do, I thought: This is exactly what I do so often in my spiritual life. God wants to do things for me. I want to do them myself. I want to pull up my socks and make myself have a joyful attitude, or stop being selfish, or whatever it is that I’m struggling with. But when I try to do it myself, I just end up making a huge mess. How much better, in cooking or in spiritual growth, if I just accepted that there are some things I can’t do, and that’s OK. I’ll get a better result if I go to the expert. It will be done right. It’s impossible for me to become more like Christ on my own effort, but anything is possible with God. And without all that greasy mess!
OK, now I want some chicken.
Jim, I can’t even picture you frying chicken!!! I love the spiritual lessons you drew from it. Great thoughts. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait till your book comes out.