I know for those who know me, they may find it difficult to visualize me performing at a dance recital. There are such things as “dancing bears” but I am just not one of them…Except when I was about 7 years old, my mom talked me into to taking tap dancing lessons for a year. So there I was, in my little sailor outfit on the night of the big performance. Back then, music and sound technology was limited to a microphone and a record player. The record started and I started my little routine and then the unexpected happen…The record player needle got stuck and played the same music over and over…so I just did the same few steps over and over again…then they moved the record player needle ahead…I was in suspended animation like a hummingbird until I figured where I was supposed to be and I improvised my way into that part of the dance routine and finished my performance.

As I have encountered other challenges in my life, I’m reminded that sometimes you just gotta keep doing what you are doing where you are at right now. Interruptions happen, your plans can suddenly change and disappointments can upset your life. One way to keep calm is to keep doing what you can and need to do while you consider other options. One of the gifts that God has given you and me is the gift of perseverance.. to keep going even when we don’t know what to do and we are discouraged.

” We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope in salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.” – Romans 5: 3-5 (NLT)

Sometimes… we just got to keep on keeping on until we know the next step.