I go to a church where they are gracious enough to allow me to be of a small service and it’s a ministry I’m humbled to have.
In that capacity, I get to observe people closely and one of my favorite pastimes has always been people-watching. People are truly fascinating and having a natural curiosity, people-watching allows an attempt to diagnose who they are inside and why they do whatever they do.
Several months ago, I was roving around the service and stopped at the northwest wall at the back of the church where I noticed a sweet nurse who was a little older and sitting while all others were standing. I watched her as the Pastor and others prayed. She held her hands slightly upturned reverently towards Heaven and her humble reverence for God Almighty was palpable as she worshipped and beseeched Him.
Her devout spirit stuck and I’ve thought of that scene often. Her heart was on such display and with quiet purity; most eyes were closed and she was sitting at the back wall, clear she did not feel anyone watching her and she felt comfortably alone in God’s majestic presence, totally focused on Him and on her approach to God.
Some weeks ago, I was again in the back of the church people-watching. I saw a young lady whom I’ve only spoken to a few times who was one aisle from the back wall and doing the exact same. No false piety portrayed and she clearly did not know anyone was observing her; she exuded simple humility in God’s presence as she took whatever thoughts to Him. Seeing a young lady raised in grace, a true breath of fresh air.
Three or so weeks ago from the middle of the back of the sanctuary, I watched a tough, gnarly man who looks like an MMA or UFC fighter. He’s the size and build I always wished I could grow up to be, and despite a lot of intense working out over the years, I’ll never look like that beast of a man.
Yet, once again, I watched him in solitary humble praise and supplication before The Almighty. He was completely turned internally to the Holy Spirit, praying in a way that was, to him, an alone, private time with His God and his own heart cry.
Two weeks ago, I watched a Momma who similarly approached God during the service prayer time. Her hands were chest level and turned reverently upward as she prayed. Her lips moved softly; she was fully alone with Her God in spite of the press of others in the sanctuary. Reverence and complete focus was on display, rendering her in her own world with the Lord.
Lastly, this past Sunday morning, the crowd was standing at the end for the invitation prayer. I spotted a man I’ve come to admire halfway across that big building. In the two years we’ve attended this church, he and I have developed a rather rough humored friendship, mercilessly insulting the other in hilarious ways and generally picking on each other. That freak just won’t cry, even though it’s been one of my missions – to make him cry big, ugly man tears; instead, he laughs with a huge twinkle in his eye and gives it back in spades. It’s one of the signs of man-love for those who aren’t weak souls, and we tend to brutally pile it on, sometimes in ways certainly not church-approved. In fact, that Dirtbag is even trying to sell his house and move to Tennessee…I mean, who does that?! Just up and leave like that? Who gave him permission to do that? I certainly didn’t…and I’ve lived in Tennessee…isn’t that still almost the redneck capital of the world??
Anyway, I was sinfully watching the crowd as the rest dutifully closed their eyes during the prayer.
I saw my soon-to-be-redneck friend in an attitude of prayer. His cowboy hat was low on his brow – and it’s a good looking hat – tilted down due to his bowed head. His eyes were closed and his hands were slightly in front, palms submissively and humbly open. His lips barely moved as he spoke privately. Though surrounded by others, he was alone with and fully focused on the moments before God.
Each time, I’ve wondered what they talk to God about. I wondered how they worship Him. What angst and needs they beseech Him with. What words they say to the God of the Universe. What pains or hurts or sorrows they suffer and bear to Him. What they praise Him for and what gratitude’s they express. And to what degree their spirit feels and senses God’s own, and how His love and blessing on their lives reveals, or what of His convicting messages are received and accepted.
We all have our own blessings and challenges. I tend to live a very private life. Though exuberant and generally full of fun and encouragement in the public life, that doesn’t usually tell the real story. It’s not fakery but just a choice to leave most of my issues before God alone. When answers come, it’s easy to know it only came from Him, uninfluenced by others or outside sources.
I’ve seen those who Vaugebook online, or expose their hurts to all in attempts to garner fleeting comfort, yet I’ve not wanted that, instead holding my own concerns generally to myself or to the relatively very close few who can be trusted to respectfully treat private matters.
In the cases of watching those worshippers, I wondered if they too had held their needs and concerns for God without broadcasting them to the public, or if they too had found the deep peace of being in the presence of God Almighty so personal and real that they truly were alone with Him even though surrounded by others.
In my firearms training classes, I often speak about being process-focused instead of goal or outcome focused. I exhort how if one is truly focused on the minutiae of the process of shooting a gun correctly without a worry of the outcome, then the outcome will almost always take care of itself.
In those reverent observed in church, they appeared so deeply involved in the process of communing with God that they were completely unconcerned with and even unaware of those around, or that others might be watching…or anything else. They were – to my discernment – simply and fully focused on God and worshipping or imploring Him. They were process focused.
One, I stood in awe of their humble, praiseful connection to God. Two, I wondered so much about the private communion with God they’ve probably told few, or possibly only the Lord. And, three, it was easy to appreciate their ability to so intently focus on being in contact with God that their subconscious disregard of all else was a lesson within itself. Their focus was deep intentionality.
We could easily apply such focus to the art of shooting. Too many become outcome focused; they just want to hit the target and unfeelingly demand of the gun, foolishly rushing the trigger the way we sometimes do of life, instead of patiently pressing with appropriate control and being so tactile and visually attuned that we can see the small mistakes beginning soon enough to correct them while in the process before the actual trigger break.
Much like a relationship with God where one needs to submit to His will and accept His outcome, good or bad, and simply focus on living Biblically and praiseworthily before Him, we could do the same with shooting.
Focus on the process of shooting correctly, trust the gun to do gun things, and simply do our part by studiously delving into the craft and faithfully disciplining ourselves to use it correctly, and the outcome will almost always take care of itself.
Shooting is a lot like and requires faith. That faith comes through intentional study of the process and learning to purposefully grow in guided skill, then trusting that process for the outcome to be good on the target.
Maybe a weird connection but that’s just how it came out to my brain while pondering the worshipful scenes from people-watching church goers and later connecting to other universal lessons learned.
Shooting and faith both take a mentally and physically immersive dive in seeking and trust.
Adam Winch
Founder, Defenders USA
