Keep Walking.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”— Psalm 68:19

I recently was an airline passenger going through the airport.

Like many Americans, I have grown to not like the logistics of air travel, mainly due to the security process. Stripping off coats, shoes, watches, belts, digging around in my bag to find my 3-oz. liquids in a Ziploc bag….it’s all a process I’d rather avoid.

A new twist was added to my routine as I pulled my roller bag down an aisle created by black waist-high bands. Twisting this way and that, much like an amusement-park line, I reached an area where there was less standing and more walking. I soon saw why. A security man with a K-9 unit dog was out sniffing bags.  The dog had a long leash and wore a halter that said “Do Not Pet the Dog”. As passengers walked quickly down a long aisle, then to the side, and then back again (in the shape of a rectangle), the security man walk the dog against the flow of bodies just inside the rectangle area. The dog’s nose was inches from my feet and bags and as he walked, and passengers walked, he took a whiff of bags as they rolled by.

As the dog worked against human traffic, sniffing bodies and bags, the man with the leash told us in a loud voice— “Don’t stop, don’t slow down, keep walking.” As we pulled our bags along, he continued moving the dog down the line, loudly repeating his instructions over and over as new passengers entered the area.

Don’t Stop. Don’t Slow Down. Keep Walking.

For some reason these words spoke to me this past weekend. My visit to my ailing father seemed to bring these words to mind, almost a soft whisper at times. I believe God gave these words to me to prepare me for my trip. When life gets rough and seems hopeless at times, and we want to give up, these are great words to remember. Don’t Stop. Don’t Slow Down. Keep Walking. Put one foot in front of the other. Take the next step. Keep going, no matter how difficult the road. God bears our burdens so we can keep walking.

Thankfully, God walks with us in difficult times. Providing love, support, comfort, and strength, I believe these words of encouragement are for our daily life.

Where might you need to keep walking? Trust God to show you the way, then follow where He leads.

Prayer–“God of all things, there are times in my life where I need to just keep going. And that is not easy when days are difficult. Thank you for walking alongside me, providing encouragement and strength. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”