The Pilgrim's path was laid out in front of her for some way, and all that was showing was the sun, which shone down on the Path as far as his eyes could see. As he passed through the villages of the world, men and women stood out of the Path, enticing The Pilgrim to step off the path and join them, but the Pilgrim kept his eyes looking up, and continued his journey.

The Pilgrim I speak of was well-armored, dressed in Grace and Truth. In one hand he carried his shield, marked with the King's seal, and in his other hand he carried the Word of Life. The City of God was his destination, but that was not yet visible in the distance. The Pilgrim only knew it was in the distance, and his hope was that he would have a home there soon.

As he walked, he began to see a terrible blackness ahead. “I shall see the path around it once I am there,” said the Pilgrim, and continued walking, singing as he did.

As the Pilgrim grew closer and closer to the blackness, he began to see that there was no path around the darkness. The blackness was a great black cloud over his path, and the path descended into the ground, down many steps into nothing.

Frantically, Pilgrim shrank back several steps, not wishing to descend into any such valley, and looked around desperately for another path. It did not take him long to realize that there was no other path. Any other way would take him off the Path, and turn him away from the City.

The way to the City was on the Path, down those stairs and through the valley. The Pilgrim breathed deeply, and opened his Book of Life. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. He would go on. Through the valleys, no matter how far they descended or how long the darkness extended.

As he stepped into the darkness with the Book of Life held open in his hands, the Pilgrim realized that light was being emitted from it, lightening his way, one step at a time. He only ever knew one step in front of him, but that was enough.

The darkness extended for hours, and the hours turned into day, and the days into weeks, and still the Pilgrim saw no sign of the darkness ending. His feet grew tired, and he began to take smaller steps. But he kept going. The darkness seemed to become even darker, and yet he plodded on.

He shed many tears in the darkness, and in the dirt at his feet he saw the footprints of other pilgrims like him who had come the same way, and how very few had kept going. They had turned back, possibly to look again for a way around the darkness. The Pilgrim took a deep breath and kept going.

Just when he thought he could go no further, a little light appeared in the distance. With a shout of joy, the Pilgrim ran forward, reaching for the light. When he reached it, he saw it. It was a small lamp.

At first the Pilgrim was quite disappointed to see how small the light really was, and wished for some time that the light he saw was the end of the tunnel. But it wasn't, and there was nothing he could do. He saw in the lamplight more steps of pilgrims who had seen this, and facing possibly the same disappointment, turned back. But a few went on... and this Pilgrim's footprints were one of them.

For he saw on top of the lamp a handle, and taking it, the Pilgrim marched forward with a renewed strength. Much time passed, but the darkness bothered him less with this new lamp of Hope in his hand.

Finally, the Pilgrim spotted in the distance another beam of light! And this light made him shout and cry and laugh and dance all at the same time, for he realized this light was the end! The tunnel, far up ahead, was beginning to climb up again, and a beam of dazzling light was flashing into the tunnel. It was to the Pilgrim, the most beautiful light he had ever seen!

Because he would no longer be needing the lamp, he set it down for any other travelers that might come after him, and with a shout of joy ran forward. The climb was long and hard, but his burst of energy did not stop until he was all the way up the slope and into the beautiful sunlight.

As soon as the Pilgrim was in the light again, he dropped to his knees, and raising his hands, thanked the King for saving him from the shadows.

Then he rose, and proceeded down the road, reading from his Book of Life and singing praises. The darkness gave way to light, the sorrow to joy, and the Pilgrim was still on the path.

And though he could see another storm in the distance, he was encouraged because he knew the Book of Life was a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path.

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