One of my fondest memories of my mother (I am writing this on Mother’s Day) is sitting next to her on the couch in the early morning hours. Our home, along with so many others, had been rocked by an earthquake. It was the early hours of Feb. 9, 1971.

The house looked like someone had picked it up and turned it upside down. My sister and I were quite scared, so my mother began to sing over us. I wish I could remember the words. But I will never forget how calm we all became in those moments.

As my dad went through the house and started picking up bookshelves that had fallen and making sure that the house was safe, my mother stayed with my sister and I on the couch singing us back to sleep.

It is in the moments of great stress, fear, anxiety and worry that I am reminded of that night in 1971. I believe that God does the same thing for us as my mom did 50-plus years ago. To know that God is in our midst, each and every day, is so very comforting and strengthening.

The Old Testament prophet, Zephaniah says, “The LORD your God is with you, a Mighty Warrior who saves; he will take great delight in you, he will renew you in his love; he will rejoice over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

So many times in my anxiety, worry, stress, and fear, my heart is very loud. In fact, I swear others can hear my heart pounding! It becomes almost impossible for me to notice God’s presence.

The prophet reminds us that it is God who is in our midst. When earthquakes, hurricanes, fire and national and world turmoil upset us and throw us into a tailspin, God is still there. When there is violence in our neighborhoods and throughout the world, God is still in our midst.

The LORD is not just holding us, but singing over us—not telling us to “calm down”, but quieting us and renewing us in his love. And it is then that we hear God singing over us—yes, singing in the midst of the “storm!”

With each passing day, there are so many things that can cause us to be afraid. Let us be reminded that God is in our midst and we having nothing to fear. May we hear God’s beautiful melody and feel the greatest love of all.