For years as an adult, out on my own, I would call my dad every day to check in. It was comforting to know that there was someone who had known me all my life, loved me – and whom I loved.

I remember our first vacation after Dad had died. Bob and I had driven to Newport, Rhode Island, found our way to the inn, checked in and taken our bags to our room. Suddenly I was sitting on the bed in tears. I had always used this time to make two calls: one to Dad and one to Bob’s mom, telling them we had arrived safely and giving them our room’s phone number. That year, there was no one to call. Our parents were gone, and I was bereft, having no one pacing the floor, so to speak, and wanting to know we were safe.

Our lives, and our world, are constantly in flux, making us feel off-balance and vulnerable. We look for ways to calm our anxiety and find hope.

There are many ways we look for comfort: contacting family or friends who care, holding a pet that loves us unconditionally, being in a special place or chair where we can relax, listening to soothing, peaceful music, or visiting a place that immediately attunes our minds to the greatness of our Creator.

All of us need comforting. Psalm 46:1 declares, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (NRSVue).

When moving along life’s journey, we discover that there is little that stays the same, except God. “I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished” (Malachi 3:6).

Scripture is a way to connect with God, and one of our favorite places to turn for God’s comfort is the Psalms, especially The Twenty-Third Psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” May you always feel God’s comforting and encouraging hand guiding you on your journey.

Rev. Gwen Bernstine serves as pastor of the Lycoming Presbyterian Congregation, now nesting in the chapel of Covenant Central Presbyterian Church