Sunday, December 8, 2013

Arrows

I have been thinking a lot about arrows lately, and not just because Catching Fire recently hit the big screen, though I definitely have a girl-crush on Katniss. I really need to learn to bow hunt. It feels like I'm the last hunter in my family who doesn't. I keep getting pics of family with their recently-arrowed game. (The pics make me hungry.) 

But those aren't the only arrows I'm thinking about tonight. 


Jimmy Needham wrote a song called Arrows* a few years back:

"Everywhere I go, I see arrows, 
Pointing the way back to you. 
Everything I see grabs ahold of me, 
Leading me straight back to you." 

This week I've been meditating on what it means to be an arrow.

There are a handful of people in my life who act like arrows in my life. These are the friends who consistently and constantly point me back to Jesus. I can't hardly have a conversation with them without being reminded of the Lord. When we speak, I regularly end up receiving counsel or prayer, hearing about great scripture they read recently, or being advised about a new worship song/album to download. What a blessing!

Arrows, y'all. Arrows.

I want to be an arrow. I want to live a life that relies so much on Christ that people can't help but see Jesus when they look at me. I want my life to point directly to Him in everything. If I'm an arrow, I want to point to my God from every area of my life. I want people to see how real this God is. 



God's sent such incredible people in my path that I can't help but be surrounded by arrows. It just makes sense that if you want to be an arrow, you should surround yourself with arrows. I crave their friendship and value time spent with them on adventures or in conversation. (Friendship has been a big theme in my life this year, in various stages and seasons. I'm blessed beyond measure.)

...


In related arrow-news, I have seen this quote almost every day this week. Pinterest has a way of doing that - someone finds a new quote and voila! It makes the rounds on eleventy billion different picture overlays. Just do a pin search with "arrow backwards" and you'll see. Here, check it out.

I happened to see it again while I was listening to the song and these lyrics just clicked:

"Make me an arrow, 
Put me in your bow, 
Pull me back and let go
And send me wherever you want me to go. 
I'll be your shadow, 
You lead, I'll follow you! I'll follow you." 

Maybe your life isn't going the direction you thought it would. Maybe you feel that you're going in the opposite direction. "Put me in your bow, pull me back and let go...An arrow must be drawn backwards to propel forward. The backwards draw takes longer; it's deliberate. Imagine drawing a bow, waiting for the right moment to release the shot. The instant you let go the string, that arrow propels forward with a speed you can't humanly achieve. An arrow flies through the air with greater velocity than that of a Heisman quarterback's football. 

The backwards draw takes longer... 
it's on purpose, to transfer the tension from the string 
to the speed of the arrow's forward motion. 
Without being pulled back, an arrow cannot go far.    

Maybe your life isn't going the direction you thought it would. Life seldom does. But when you put your life in the hands of God, when you become His arrow, you can trust that it will achieve a purpose greater than that which you could humanly achieve. "Make me an arrow, put me in your bow, pull me back and let go, and send me wherever you want me to go." 

I want to be an arrow. I want my life to point directly to Jesus in everything. It's not about me. It's not my bow. I'm secure in His great plan. I want Jesus to be the one who draws me back if he needs to, so that he can send me forward with all His speed and accuracy into the life He's planned for me. 

Make me an arrow...

"Everywhere I go, I'm an arrow, 
Leading the way back to you. 
In pleasure or in pain, 
Just like sunshine and rain, 
I'll be an arrow for you. 
I'll follow you." 



*Arrows appears on his Clear the Stage album. It's a great album. Go buy it. Side note: Clear the Stage is one of the best songs ever. It's spoken truth through Ross King for many years, even before Jimmy recorded it. They're both fantastic, truth-seeking musicians. They're also both Texas A&M Aggies. Go support their music like crazy.

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