Psalm 30:5b – “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Summertime always takes me back to childhood camping trips with my family.

Every Friday, we eagerly packed up for our weekend adventure. Before we upgraded to a travel trailer, our family of five would squeeze into a large tent, excited for nights under the stars.

I vividly remember one trip when a storm came in the middle of the night. As a young girl, I was terrified. Rain pelted the tent as thunder cracked like a whip, echoing through the forest. The thin canvas walls felt utterly useless against the raw power of the winds.

Certain we would not survive, I woke my mom. Her voice, steady and calm, cut through the chaos. She assured me she would not let anything happen to my siblings or me. We were safe.

Her words soothed my anxious mind enough to let me drift back to sleep. I woke the next morning to sunlight streaming through the trees and to peace knowing we made it.

Life’s tempests can feel no less daunting as an adult. Disappointments crash into our world and heartaches pound us like a hurricane. We feel exposed, defenseless. In those moments of crippling fear, it is easy to forget we are not alone.

But just as I wholeheartedly trusted my mom in the storm, we can trust God to cover us and keep us safe. His strength steadies us when our own fails.

Here is the unexpected truth: the fiercest storms only last a night. Just like that childhood tent, our faith may feel flimsy, but when we hold on, we find unseen strength and peace.

The storms may be inevitable, but they do not have to define us. Because God is with us, we can weather them. So hold on to this truth – our hope, like the sunrise, is always just a morning away.