Every Father’s Day, my family embarks on a familiar journey to Tripod Rock, a massive boulder balanced on three smaller stones in Pyramid Mountain State Park in Western, NJ. This is my big outing, but the family has for the most part accepted it as a shared annual tradition. When we reach the rock each year, it has been our practice to capture the moment with a family picture. It is fun to see the changes that take place from year to year. I laugh when I realize that I have worn the same T-shirt for many of these treks. What is more complicated are the changes that I notice through the years with each picture. My children have now reached adulthood, gray hair now covers my head where hair still grows and a few unwanted extra pounds have attached themselves to my frame. Change is a constant, but Tripod Rock remains the same. It’s presence and position remain steadfast and unmoving. It serves as a quiet reminder that in a world of constant change, some things remain unshaken.

Much like Tripod Rock, God’s nature does not change. We can read in the letter of Hebrews that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The world around us shifts, our circumstances evolve, and our understanding of faith deepens and matures. God’s love and presence, however, stand firm. God’s promises remain constant. God continues to be an anchor in life’s uncertainties and a steady foundation upon which we build our lives. The Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—works in perfect unity, providing the strength and stability we need, just as the three supporting stones uphold the massive boulder.

So, on the afternoon of June 15th as the Holliday family prepares for the annual hike and another family picture, we will cherish the visible changes among us while resting in the unchanging faithfulness of God. Tripod Rock remains, year after year, just as God remains—steady, strong, and unwavering. In the midst of life’s transitions, may we find peace in knowing that the One who formed the mountains holds us in His unshakable embrace.