In some cases, the team aims for the center of the bullseye, other times they intentionally try to create a barrier for opponents to maneuver around, and in other situations the team does all they can to knock the opponents’ stones out cold and push them out of the way or out of the house, so they do not score. It’s fun to watch and I’m sure fun to play! Teams sure make it look easy at times, but you know there is so much strategy and effort with every release and brush stroke. There is even a science behind the ice. I have learned they use distilled water to prevent air bubbles to help provide the best surface possible for curling on the thin ice.
At the most random moment, I was reminded of the nail biter match I watched during the Olympics, and I could hear the play-by-play announcer say again, “That was an eyelash away from a great shot!” In other words: so close, but so far away; better luck next time; close, but no cigar. That commentary was such a visual depiction of the moment and how close things really were—an eyelash away from a great shot. It was almost perfect, but they missed the mark. It could have been great, but it wasn’t. I’m sure that Olympic athlete will remember that “almost” outcome for years to come.
An eyelash away! Picture it. Curling isn’t horseshoes and hand grenades as some may say. Pinpointed accuracy counts. Curling officials even have specialized devices that measure down to the micrometer, or thousandths of an inch—talk about splitting hairs! Competitors practice repeatedly for victorious moments.
An eyelash away from a great shot. That statement made its mark. It made me think of the skilled warriors and armies who fought in the conflicts mentioned throughout the Bible. I started researching some of the early battles recorded. In some cases, we hear specific details regarding how skilled the soldiers were.
Did you know the Bible talks about sword-wielding infantry and the best swordsmen? Sword-wielding infantry are soldiers trained for close-quarter combat. They trained to dominate tactical environments. Some soldiers are referred to as being ambidextrous and having such accuracy as to sling a stone and not miss a hair! That is precision. These men were trained for battle.
The book of Judges describes some of these fierce warriors in Judges 20:14-17 which says, “Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war” (ESV).
Battles were fierce then, and they still are today. Amongst all the physical wars and rumors of wars, we are in the midst of an intense, ongoing spiritual battle that requires the utmost engagement, awareness and precision. Ephesians 6:12 describes the struggle we are up against with the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
King David understood both the physical and spiritual battles men can face. He declared in Psalm 144:1, “Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle…” (ESV).
Are you prepared for the battles you are facing and those ahead? Are you declaring, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle?” Are you surrendering your life completely to Jesus and allowing God to train you for the spiritual battle we are in? Are you prepared to sling a stone at a hair and not miss, or slide a stone for that matter and not be an eyelash away from a great shot? What does God want to teach you today as a warrior? Is it perseverance, precision, faith, accuracy, repetition, determination, or something even more specific? Ask and expect God to hit the bullseye of your heart!
How can you make Monumental Moments and live to multiply His movement today?
