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What If The Lord Had Not Been On Our Side?

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Have you ever felt like it took every bit of energy just to turn over in bed, let alone get up? Or maybe it’s finishing those last dishes in the sink, or counting down the final 15 minutes until it’s time to clock out. Some days, every ounce of energy is focused on just taking the next step, and it feels impossible to think beyond that moment.



We’ve all been there at one time or another. But sometimes, something happens that gives “ploddin’ along” a whole new meaning—like missiles flying overhead, and you realize you have nowhere to go except forward.



<h2>Plodding Began Early</h2>



Like many of my good intentions lately, going to bed early didn’t happen last night. So when my alarm went off this morning, it took the extra push of my cats to get me up, take my morning meds, and start moving—slowly. I felt like I was slogging through slush, but I finally managed to get my coffee and enjoy some quiet time. As I was starting to wake up, finding encouragement in Ephesians 1, I suddenly received an Extreme Alert on my phone.



I got up and hesitated in my bedroom, trying to figure out what to put on to go out to the shelter. Time passed faster than I realized, and suddenly the siren was blaring. Pharaoh, one of my cats, looked panicked. So I sat down, held him, and asked for the Lord’s protection. I knew there was no way I’d get to the shelter before the missiles started flying. I was right. Thankfully, it passed quickly for me. Tragically, there was a direct hit on a hospital in the south of Israel, with many injured. In the north, it seems all the missiles were intercepted.



So began my day, with a good 15 minutes spent pondering: work from home? Go to work? Which bus to take? How far would I need to walk? Since I haven’t yet sorted out how much I can work from home (I’m considered an essential worker), I planned the best way to get to work. Referring to the picture at the bottom of this post, I drove from home (#1) to a parking lot (#2) next to a bus stop where I knew there would be buses to the hospital where I work. (Currently, there is no parking within walking distance to work.)



For me, walking is an issue on several levels. I use a cane these days due to instability from knee and back problems, and advanced osteoarthritis. I CAN walk, but not quickly. So I was thankful to get to work (#3 in the picture) relatively quickly.



<h2>Exercise is Good—in Theory</h2>



As the workday ended, I decided not to wait for a bus to get back to my car. It’s actually a relatively short walk, and I figured the exercise would be good for me. Earlier in the day, someone had asked what I’d do if an alarm went off while I was walking to my car. I joked, “I guess I’d just stand there. I know you’re supposed to get down on the ground, but if I do that, I might not get up again—especially if no one is there to help!”



To be honest, I figured Iraq had their major hit of the day; why would they fire again in the daytime? The next alarm would probably be after dark. And I wanted to walk. I wasn’t in a hurry to get home and thought I could enjoy the walk for a change. I left work (#4 in the picture) and started listening to music, when suddenly the music in my earbuds stopped and I heard a loud blast from my phone.



I looked at my phone: EXTREME ALERT. That meant I needed to get to a shelter as soon as possible. The only problem was that I was nowhere near anything that could serve as a shelter (#5 in the picture).



I turned my music back on and kept walking. That’s when I noticed the song playing: “Keep Ploddin’ Along” by Heather Schopf of Forever Be Sure music. As part of me wondered if I should get nervous, the words of the song encouraged me to keep going. Just keep moving. And so, I did.



As I began to cross the main intersection, the siren went off. The music kept encouraging me until I reached a restraining wall for a garden area on the other side of the street. I stood in the shadow of the wall (#6), looked up, and saw a missile streak northward overhead. Then silence, as no more missiles followed.



I walked to my car (#2) and began the short drive home. On the way, I thought, “Might as well stop at the market,” and parked. Maybe not the wisest idea, but I was no longer worried. I thought it was over.



Another EXTREME Alert came, followed almost immediately by lots of sirens. This time, I saw a building where I thought there might be a shelter, but everything was locked shut. All the storekeepers had obviously gone somewhere, but I had no idea where. I saw a few other people, who, like me, were wandering, trying to figure out where to go. I finally pulled into the shadow of one of the buildings and waited, hearing multiple whistles and blasts. Looking up, it seemed like several streaks of something were flying in circles, but thankfully no shrapnel was falling to the ground.



<h2>Yes, I Got to the Store</h2>



As the inevitable silence followed the alert, I wandered out from the shade of one building toward the entrance of the supermarket. I wasn’t the only person standing there! Someone let us in, and we stayed there until the all-clear sounded. Then, of course, we proceeded to do our shopping.



Looking back at the lyrics of Heather’s song, I found myself pondering one of the verses:



<blockquote>
Does it feel like a fight when the first bell rings, When you hear that morning bell ring? (Yes, it’s true!) Do you feel like your life’s just chasin’ the wind,
</blockquote>



My heart was hearing:



<blockquote>
Does it feel like a fight when the first siren sounds When you hear that morning alarm to be safe? (Yes, it’s true!) Do you feel like your life’s chasin’ after safe rooms… Keep ploddin’ along…
</blockquote>



I did what I had to do, some of it without thinking, admittedly, and yet—by God’s grace, there was no sense of panic or fear, just a sense to keep going, keep moving, and do whatever I could in that moment. Because, as Heather’s song says, and as God’s word confirms, hope IS on the horizon, and I can be strong in God’s strength.



<h2>Let’s Plod On Together</h2>



For those of you not in Israel, I’m sure this all sounds frightening and overwhelming. But I can assure you, if you were to tell me about your struggles, I would probably feel the same way about what you are facing. It’s amazing how resilient we can be as human beings. God designed us for life. He wants us to live. How much more is that true for those of us who belong to Him through our Messiah and Savior Jesus (Yeshua)?



I hope these thoughts and Heather’s song encourage you. Whatever your struggle, don’t give up. Our Hope is real, God’s strength is real, and His hand is held out to you. Take it and keep on going. The best really is yet to come.



Beneath the picture, I’ve added a link to the YouTube video of “Keep Ploddin’ Along.”



Blessings 



<figure><img decoding="async" width="600" height="429" src="https://www.hope-challenged.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/walking_home_detail_small.png" alt="Mapping out my day getting to work and then home.
Photo is screen capture from Google Maps." srcset="https://www.hope-challenged.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/walking_home_detail_small.png 600w, https://www.hope-challenged.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/walking_home_detail_small-250x179.png 250w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"/></figure>



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1) My home address. 2) Where I parked my car to catch a bus to work. 3) Where I work. The small yellow arrow shows where my office is. 4) I left work. Dotted white line, my path to get back to my car. 5) Where I was when the EXTREME ALERT sounded. 6) The restraining wall where I stood before returning to my car (#2).



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A New Meaning to Ploddin’ Along

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Editor's Picks

November is Global Bible Month!

What If The Lord Had Not Been On Our Side?

The 3 Gifts of the Magi: What they Teach Us About Our Faith

Which is God’s Greatest Attribute?

Deborah Hemstreet (Dvora Elisheva)