Ross watched the arrow zoom upward, silently piercing hot desert air. It sure beat sitting at home afternoon. Besides, the air seemed just a little cooler away from the hum of machinery and traffic.
The arrow slowed as it reached its highest altitude. could barely make out the slender shaft as it arched over began its long drop earthward.
Sabbaths could be boring when there wasn’t anything going on at church. He’d spent the last hour shooting arrows into cactuses, fallen logs, and anything else that presented itself as a target. But his new game of firing arrows high into the sky was fun. Ross grinned as the shaft picked up speed. He’d lost all track of time and wasn’t exactly sure where he was. Mom and Dad had stayed back in the car to nap.
The boy glanced down at where he knew the arrow would fall just to see what he might hit. He blinked. There, in direct line with the rapidly descending object were Mom and Dad standing beside the family automobile.
He didn’t have time to pray, to ask God to forgive his recklessness.
All he could do was draw in a quick breath and shout, «Look out!»
At that moment the arrow embedded itself with a soft thwang into the ground just feet from where his parents were standing.
The boy dropped to his knees. «O God,» he prayed, «forgive me. Forgive me!»
Ross has a new prayer now. It starts like this: «Dear God, help me to be more careful.»