The visual in this Psalm is vivid. Parenting is like archery. Each arrow is a child, and we have the great duty of directing our children. We spend nearly 2 decades on each arrow — aiming, pulling back the tension on the bow, until we finally release them freely into the open to hit the target. But the great problem of archery is that there are countless variables involved to hit the target. The weather can affect your aim, the wind can affect the direction, your focus can struggle to see the bullseye, and even the arrow itself can have flaws that impact its ability to fly in the way you expect. And every master archer will tell you that — no matter how good you are at archery, and no matter how good your vision and focus may be, and no matter how many reps you’ve put it drawing and nocking an arrow and shooting — sometimes the wind will have its way or the arrow will do something unexpected. This, of course, is the perfect illustration for parenting, and it shows us the great wisdom of the Scriptures. It perfectly balances the control and responsibility of the archer (the parent) and the lack of control in the variables affecting the arrow (the child). This Psalm gives us, we’ll say, three archery stances to best aim your arrows at the quiver. An archery stance is the position of the archer's body when preparing to shoot. And an archers stance must be strong, provide clarity for good vision, and controlled, in order to provide his arrow the best opportunity to hit the target. 1. Archery Stance 1: Strength — Relying on God 2. Archery Stance 2: Vision — Recognizing God in your parenting 3. Archery Stance 3: Control — Rejoicing in God for your children Is your stance as a parent ready to shoot your next arrow?