Trust that Summer is Coming

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Posted by: Leah Gartner, Director of Marketing and Events | Monday, April 20th, 2026 ( 8:52am)

...but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.—Isaiah 40:31 

I love living in Michigan, and like most Michiganders, I’ve found a way to enjoy or make peace with every season. I do realize that our favorite pastime might be complaining about the weather, but still, most of us have a deep connection with the changing of the seasons. 

Michigan summer is, of course, what we’re all waiting for—a virtual paradise. Perfect temperatures in the mid-70s and 80s, sandy beaches, and fresh water. Walking in parks, endless hours outside, and the most important thing of all, SUNSHINE! 

The hardest part of the year for me, and I imagine maybe you, too, is March and April. We call it spring, but I think in Michigan it might need its own season: The Doldrums. The Gray Blahs. There’s no snow (usually), but nothing shows signs of life. We know the sun is out there somewhere, but  it’s usually hidden behind clouds so thick we’re not really sure it actually exists anymore.   

Even though I’ve lived most of my life here—almost 50 years of sparkling, beautiful summers—I sometimes start to wonder if the warm weather will ever come back. My mind tells me, “Look how dead everything is. It’s brown and gray, and so cold! Summer just might not happen this year.” It’s funny how easily I can begin to doubt the promise of summer's arrival based on what I see rather than what I know is true.  

The trees are bare. The grass has patches of brown. Everything is covered in dead leaves. Out of all the seasons, this can be the hardest time of year to find joy. We might have a day or two of relief with sunshine and warm weather, but the next day we’re tossed back into the cold. It rains a lot. Sports get canceled. Cute spring dresses go back in the closet.  Easter egg hunts move indoors. We long for warmth, being in nature, and seeing our neighbors outside again, but it seems like it is never going to happen. Will life really return to that joyful season? 

Just when I think I can’t take it anymore,  new life begins to appear. The first little green shoot of the crocus fights its way out of the soil, pushing past layers of dead leaves. The trees begin to bud and their color returns. The grass fills in and becomes a thick green carpet.  

Spring is real. And summer is coming!  

Sometimes our lives can feel the same way. That season of waiting. Times when things feel gray and lifeless and it’s hard to find joy.  When doubts begin to creep in because what we’re experiencing in our lives doesn’t always reflect what we know is true. Maybe you have been praying for direction on a new job and haven’t heard a clear answer yet. Or maybe you are buying a house for the first time and the offers keep falling through. Perhaps you have aging parents and fear you are falling short in how you are caring for them. We know God is there and has an answer, but we just can’t see it yet. Being patient in the waiting can be so hard. But these are the times in life that we need to remember who God is even more.   

During The Doldrums of spring I often remind myself that summer does, in fact, come. Soon I will be walking in the park on a beautiful summer day and I won’t even remember how cold it was a few short months ago. It is the same with God, His promises, and His character. These are the times that I need to draw even closer to Him. I need to lean into Him, remember His word, and trust that He will answer in His perfect timing and in the perfect way.  I can find strength in the waiting, because I know that God is still there. And He will bring summer back again, just like He has every year. 

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