“The Lord is my strength and my shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy” (Psalm 28:7).

The first time Maison was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, I sat by his bedside in a hard chair. Machines beeped and doctors and nurses moved in and out while I sat frozen, unsure what I was supposed to do except be there.

I didn’t question if God saw what was happening; I knew He did.

I didn’t doubt His presence, but I needed reassurance that He really did have our lives in His hands.

I asked Him, “Is this really part of the story You wrote for my baby? For me?”

I felt a quiet presence—not loud or dramatic but steady. God didn’t change the monitors beeping or the diagnosis, but He gave me peace and calm.

When I could barely whisper a prayer, He held my heart.

When I was too tired to be strong, He reminded me, “You don’t have to be, because I am.”  Psalm 28:7 became a lifeline. It didn’t promise that the storm would pass quickly, but it promised I wouldn’t drown.

God was my strength—not the kind that makes me immune to tears but the kind that helps me keep going even while they fall.

He was my shield—not one that blocks every hard thing but one that keeps me from being crushed.

If you’re walking through a moment that feels just as fragile and frightening as my experience, I want you to know you’re not forgotten.

God sees you. He hasn’t turned away. He’s not surprised.

He knew this moment would come, and He’s been preparing you, carrying you, and surrounding you all along.

Adapted from Moments of Joy by Camille Joy Robinson. Copyright © 2026 by Camille Joy Robinson. Published by WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group, LLC. Used by permission.

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