When many families are flying or driving off to exotic locations, my family decided to go camping. In the last few years, during summer break, we decided to set up our tent right as a storm was raging. From a distance, the dark clouds rolled in. As the rain fell on our faces, the droplets seemed heavier than normal. We raced to find our rain jackets hidden in our bags. The thunder and lightning ripped across the sky. In previous years, I sat, afraid and anxious about what the storm might do. But this day we played a different melody. We had seen this story before. Despite the uncomfortable, wet, and rubbing sounds, setting up the tent in summer wind and rain had taught us. That we could overcome together what seemed most difficult.

Tent 1 Soon, laughter and smiles filled the ground as we worked together. Using a truckie’s hitch for ropes, jockey straps to move with the wind, and with a tennis ball on the end of poles, we balanced a sturdy grey canvas from the Bunnings hardware store above our tent. We are mastering the art of setting up a tent for summer storms.

But I must admit reluctance in my heart to lose the protective brick walls and tiled roof. Weeks leading up, thinking about camping made my heart anxious. But soon, once camping began, the fears were replaced by joy. The joy of simplicity. Of living with not much. The joy of working together. The joy of family time. The joy of having no doors, so we say “hello” more frequently and talk with neighbours.

Tent 2 Camping is something you'll remember, especially when life slows down and you reflect on what matters. It’s a time when you are responsible for the walls that surround you, where every peg, pole, and canvas is your own doing. These moments remind you how capable you are, building shelter and comfort with your own hands, and they stay with you long after you return to everyday life.

It reminds me that many Bible characters lived in tents, finding faith and purpose beneath fabric rather than brick or stone. Abraham lived in a tent, moving from place to place, trusting God’s promises without the security of permanent walls. Moses built a tent to house the covenant, creating a sacred space that invited God’s presence among the people, even in the wilderness. St. Paul was known as a tentmaker, his craft symbolizing both humble work and a life of journeying, service, and adaptability. Their stories show that a meaningful life isn’t about grand buildings, but about trust, movement, and the shelter we build with our own hands and hearts.

In the end, the tent provides something far more formative. Tent making is like an art or craft. When the rain and wind come, you must make adjustments. Each time you go camping, you learn more about how to build a tent. When the falls or the ceiling start Tent 3 leaking or falling, how will you put them back up?

Camping, with all its unpredictability and challenges, has taught my family more than any comfortable holiday ever could. It brings us together, pushes us to adapt, and reminds us of the simple joys and timeless lessons found outside four walls. Whether facing storms or sharing laughter under a canvas roof, we discover that real strength and connection come from working together, and those memories last long after the tent is packed away.

Questions for journaling and further reflection
  1. What fears or anxieties do you experience when stepping out of your comfort zone, and how do you overcome them?
  2. How does working together with others during challenging moments shape your relationships?
  3. What lessons has simplicity taught you in your own life?
  4. In what ways do you see shelter, temporary or permanent, as meaningful in your faith or personal journey?
  5. How do the stories of Abraham, Moses, and St. Paul inspire you to embrace change or uncertainty?
  6. What memories from your own life remind you of the importance of adaptability?
  7. Think of building a tent as a metaphor for how you live your life, what does it mean to you to build a life with your own hands and heart?
Discuss

Listen to song, “Walk by Faith”



Final prayer

Loving God,
Thank you for the gift of simple shelter and shared journeys, for building the tents of our lives, for lessons learned through storms and moments of joy beneath open skies. As we remember those who journeyed in faith before us, help us find strength in togetherness, courage when facing uncertainty, and gratitude for the hands and hearts that build our lives. May we always trust your presence wherever we dwell, and carry these memories and lessons into every season ahead. Amen.
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