Scott Bell posted on February 02, 2007 19:12
Two short whistle blasts brought the young archers to the line followed by a single whistle blast allowing the arrows to be cradled by the rest and released towards the target. The three boys; one twelve, another fifteen and another sixteen, were shooting at targets twenty yards away. The youngest of the three was not required to be at that distance, but was there because he was breaking in a new bow. The two older boys were dialed in and shooting with accuracy consistently while the youngest archers pattern eventually improved with time.
One of the older boys was full of encouragement for the younger. After each arrow, or after the quiver was empty, his words were positive, complimentary and kind. The other boy seemed to see the younger as someone not yet ready to shoot at this distance. He rarely offered kind words or shared advice with the younger archer.
Those three boys shooting on a Saturday morning taught every person watching them more than any of the boys will ever know. The younger was an example of someone stretching their ability beyond what was expected of him. He improved with each end of arrows, becoming more and more accurate.
The two older boys each came from a different place. The sixteen year old was protecting his space because it was his right to do that very thing. The fifteen year old boy and his uplifting words to a learning, growing young archer filled my heart and head with words that I hope to always remember. On that Saturday morning that 15 year old boy was well on his way to being a man seeking the very heart of God.