#15: What do you do when some days only seem to get worse!? No sooner was Christian through this valley than another appeared: The Shadow of Death. The previous one featured active battle; this now was a very solitary place, a wilderness, land of deserts + pits, drought, where no man dwells. 2 men ran past him in the opposite direction: ‘It’s dark as pitch; filled with howling/yelling/clouds of confusion, dreadful; Go back!’ But Christian refused their evil report + pressed on. His path was exceedingly narrow, with a deep ditch on one side + a dangerous quag on the other. ½ way through, the mouth of hell opened up, but he forged ahead, using his weapon -All-prayer, quoting Ps 71:16 ‘I will go in the strength of the Lord.’ … the same verse the Lord gave me years ago when I headed out on my 1st mission trip to Africa. Poor Christian! He was so confused, he couldn’t even recognize his own voice. But he did hear another voice clearly before him: ‘Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no ill, for thou art with me.’ (Ps 23). His fear turned to joy, the darkness to morning light + all dangers moved far off. He left them behind: the remains of mangled bodies/bones of many who’d gone before him + 2 old giants: Pagan (superstition) -dead longtime + Pope (tradition) - crazy/stiff: who could only sit at his cave, grinning + biting his nails, no longer able to hamper those who passed by. And Christian passed by peacefully… + so do we.