Give it your best shot

The time has come. As part of my training, I still have to qualify and demonstrate proficiency with my weapon. This year I am very apprehensive since I took a nasty cut to my dominant hand, cutting through to the tendon. Not being certain of complete healing or potential reprocussions, I went to practice today.

I was prepared. I walked in, put on my eye and ear protection and proceed to "take my best shot." About ten minutes into it, five men walked in. Two took their place to my left, three to my right. Being in my own stall, I was not phased. I was concentrating on my target and could not tell you how old they were, how they were dressed or anything else about them. They in turn could not see my face as I was deep in the stall.

Even with ear protection I could hear their conversations. I continued to hit my target and then I heard them in action. The three fellas to my right started laughing and criticizing their friend who hit every shot outside the X ring and on the outer boundaries. All the targets were aligned in the range for everyone else to see and since only one could shoot at a time, the other two were just watching. It did not affect me until one of the friends spoke in spanish and said "The old lady shot better than you!" Laughter broke out but I maintained my position and continued proving the friend right.

As they broke out in laughter, I thought to myself "I can assure you I am anything but an old lady!" Then I asked myself "Why does it matter?" God created me and whether I am young or old, he has a purpose for me. He used Sarah when she was and "old lady" to have Abraham's heir, Isaac [Genesis 18:11] and He used Elizabeth when she was an "old lady" to have John the Baptist [Luke 1:7]. God had a purpose for me when I was 20 and He still has a purpose for me now. So you want to call me an old lady, I say "give it your best shot" because for some of us, that's when life begins!

Likewise teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine. but to teach what is good. They they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3-4