By Seth Coe
“Maybe we should slow down,” suggested Alex. But the sounds of a roaring engine and excited cheering drowned out his voice and echoed through the silent night.
The Ford truck went over and around the large sandy hills of the Colorado Adobes. The only things visible were shadows caught in the headlights.
Alex’s older brother, Sawyer, looked back at him and said, “Oh, stop being a crybaby and have some fun.” Sawyer and his friend, Harvey, who was driving the truck, shared a mocking laugh.
Alex became quiet, crossed his arms, and sank back into the seat’s cushions. I’m not a crybaby, he thought. If Harvey and Sawyer can do this, so can I. I just know everyone will laugh at me in school if I don’t. However, every time he was jerked to one side or the other because of a sharp turn, he became more frightened.
A sudden stop caused Alex to lurch forward in his seat. His seatbelt locked and caught him. Is that it? Is it over? Alex’s hopes were squashed when he peered over Sawyer’s shoulder and saw what was ahead of them.
“The big bowl,” Harvey announced, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. It was a large ditch in the shape of a wok pan. It stretched the length of a half football field from end to end.
“Come on, let’s try it out,” urged Sawyer.
Alex tried to say, “But Dad said never to—”
Alex was cut off when Harvey pressed the gas, sending him flying back into his seat. Now they were driving in circles along the sides of the ditch. Alex had only seen dirt bikes driving in the big bowl. He had never seen a big truck like theirs.
“Harvey, how close can you get to the edge?” asked Sawyer as they prepared for another loop.
“Why don’t we find out?” Harvey again hit the gas.
The boys drove through the pit, kicking dust behind them as they came up to the ledge. On their right, they could see a cliff. This cliff led straight down into the Gunnison River below. Harvey sharply turned the wheel just in time to prevent them from tumbling over. He let out a thrilled “whoa!” and skidded the truck to a stop on the other side of the bowl.
Alex placed his hand on his chest and took deep breaths to calm himself. However, his heart rate skyrocketed again when he saw his brother and his friend exchange two smirks. All he could do was grip the armrest as they once again picked up speed.
Over and over, Harvey looped around and brought the truck right up to the edge, playing chicken with gravity. He and Sawyer laughed the entire time. Alex did not.
“Guys, seriously, we should stop!” Alex called out.
“Oh, calm down, Alex,” Harvey shot back. “I know what I’m doing.”
Alex was plastered against his seat, eyes wide with terror. Each time around seemed closer to certain death than the last. It was only a matter of time before Harvey’s recklessness sent them all over the edge. Alex felt helpless. So he closed his eyes and focused.
“Dear God,” Alex whispered., As he spoke, the sounds of the world around him seemed to fall silent under his plea. “Please keep us safe. I know You can.” They were simple words spoken in a time of crisis, not a long or thought-out prayer. They were a short call for help from a boy to his heavenly Father, and the Father listened.
As the truck rolled around for another loop, Alex prepared for the worst. Instead, he found darkness and silence. The lights had flicked off, and the engine was no longer running. The only noise came from the tires rolling on the sand beneath the truck.
“What happened?” Harvey bleated, slamming his foot onto the brakes. The Ford slid safely to a stop.
“The engine stalled,” Sawyer explained, pointing at the dashboard. “Turn it back on.”
Harvey turned the key, and the engine kicked and sputtered. But it did not come alive. After ten minutes of trying, both Harvey and Sawyer accepted that there would be no more loops in the big bowl.
With a groan, Sawyer turned to Harvey and Alex. “All right, everybody out.”
Alex clicked the handle and strained to push the door open. He swung his legs out of the truck and prepared to hop out. But Sawyer gripped his arm.
“Stop!” Sawyer commanded.
Alex froze. He saw the cliff right under his feet. There were only a few inches of ground to stand on.
“Careful, Alex,” Sawyer warned, extending a hand.
Alex gratefully accepted it. He shimmied along the cliff’s edge and around the stalled truck. Before long, the three boys were safely standing in front of the vehicle. All were quiet, especially Harvey and Sawyer. They knew they would have to explain this to Dad in a little while.
But Alex wasn’t scared. He knew why the engine had stalled and how they had stopped in time. God heard and listened to his prayer and made sure they were safe.
God tells His people, “I am the Lord your God. I am holding your right hand. And I tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I will help you’ ” (Isaiah 41:13, ICB). Alex remembered that night that even in the middle of a loud and scary moment, all he had to do was say, “God, please help me.” And God helped all three of them return home safely.
Half-page activity
Directions: Use the word rebus to find the words.
1. Fire – fre + stone – tone + cat – ct + place – ple (Isaac)
2. Volcano – volo + banana – bna (Canaan)
3. Rat – t + teacher – tear + light – ight (Rachel)
4. Bed – d + trash – ras + shoe – sho + apple – appe (Bethel)
5. Rejoice – reice + hose – ho + sheep – shee + chair – cair (Joseph)
6. Horse – ors + bat – at + corn – con + money – mey (Hebron)
7. Pajamas – pamas + core – re + ball – all (Jacob)
Full-page activity by Seth Coe
Directions: Fill in the missing words from this week’s story in Genesis 35:16-20 and 37:1-10 (ICB).
1. With tears in his eyes, Father Jacob named his son _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . (Benjamin)
2. Jacob set up a _ _ _ _ on Rachel’s grave to honor her. (rock)
3. Joseph cared for his father’s _ _ _ _ _ _ . (flocks)
3. Jacob, also called Israel, _ _ _ _ _ Joseph more than his other sons. (loved)
4. He made Joseph a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ robe. (special)
5. In his first dream, Joseph saw _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of wheat. (bundles)
6. Then _ _ _ _ _ _ had another dream (Joseph).
7. He saw the sun, moon, and eleven _ _ _ _ _ . (stars)
Directions: Unscramble the circled (highlighted) letters to spell a word.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Precious)
