Fourteen years ago, Beth Hartwell could not imagine that she would be helping others through their pain. She was still reeling from her own. Her mother—who was the center of Beth’s world--had died, and Beth’s life suddenly seemed dark and empty.

Her mother had not just been a source of stability and love in Beth’s family, she had been a pillar in the small West Virginia mining town where they lived. From serving at the church where Beth’s father was a pastor to caring for people in their tight-knit community, her mom had defined Beth’s whole world. And now she was gone.

Beth didn’t think she would ever be happy again.

But her mother had made a request before she died: She wanted Beth to continue the youth drama and dance ministry at their church. At first, Beth was reluctant to take over the role.

But she did it for her mother.

Beth found refuge in Scripture as she began to invest in the young people in the group. Verses like Psalm 30:5: “Tears may flow in the night,

but joy comes in the morning,” (GNT) helped sustain Beth and give her new hope.

Slowly, she began to find joy again in her life. And Beth realized that she had an opportunity to share her pain—and source of comfort—with the youth in the program.

As time went on, she built relationships with the students and their families. When one girl lost her father in a recent coal mining accident, Beth was with her the next day to share the verse that had helped her through her own mother’s death. She assured the girl that joy really does come in the morning. Beth knows that from experience.

“It’s amazing Beth says. “They come to you for advice. Every day it’s something with another kid, and I can always go back to the Word of God and reach them through that.”

At a recent Wednesday evening performance, Beth watched from the back of the church as the teens in the ministry danced to worship music on the stage. The students’ faces shone as they looked out on the congregation, but there was one face they were looking for shining back at them.

A face that had encouraged and ministered to them in the midst of her own difficult experiences: Beth’s.

For her, the joy that comes with morning shines for all to see.