Traversing the valley of the shadow of death,

Like David from our biblical past,

We are never alone in our suffering.

Life continues to exact its punishing toll,

Where a few missed breaths may mean eternity,

Traversing the valley of the shadow of death.

As light that continues shining from long-dead stars,

During moments of snuffed-out hope,

We are never alone in our suffering.

Being threaded through the eye of a needle

Like Job, “What I feared has come upon me,”

Traversing the valley of the shadow of death.

We become accustomed to everything, but departing,

Yet God stands with us in our trials.

We are never alone in our suffering.

As runners about to break the tape in the

Final — most important — race of life,

Traversing the valley of the shadow of death,

We are never alone in our suffering.

– Robert B. Robeson