Handled with Care
- Dericka Canada Cunningham
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder
October 27, 2025
This Week's Anchor
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)
Each year, as birthdays and holidays arrive, I experience heartwarming moments in the form of packages from my parents. No matter the item—big or small, sturdy or delicate, serious or fun, my parents do everything they can to ensure these precious gifts make their long trip from South Carolina to Massachusetts. I retrieve these packages excitedly, but not always confident that every delicate item has survived the shipping process. Yet, as I open box after box, I am always quickly reassured that everything is just fine. Like a true Black mama, my mother wraps each piece with an unbelievable amount of care and thoughtfulness. There’s bubble wrap, newspaper, tissue paper, and towels, and she even gets my dad in on the process by having him create “fragile” labels that cover the entire box.
This week, we celebrate my daughter’s 6th birthday, and sure enough, a package arrived with the Canada label perfectly affixed. As I opened another intricately boxed gift, my heart became full. Here I am, an almost 40-year-old woman, a mother myself, and I am consistently moved by the love and care my parents have for simple gifts sent from afar. As I tucked the items away for my daughter’s surprise, a wave of gratitude rushed over me, and as I reflected on my thankfulness for my parents, God whispered to my heart, “…and this is how I care for you, too.” With this in mind, I considered all the ways my parents’ tender love for me reflects God’s unconditional and abundant love for us. Just like the thoughtful packages my parents send, God handles every aspect of our lives with divinely purposeful care. And like this week’s anchor scripture affirms, nothing can separate us from God’s love and care.
Many of us are likely familiar with this scripture. As a young kid who grew up in the Bible Belt of the South, I remember hearing and quoting this scripture often. This scripture highlights the courage and confidence we can have in our faith walk with God and Christ. And also…in declaring that nothing can separate us from the love of God, it eerily reminds us that many things will try (i.e., death, demons, powers, etc.). God doesn’t promise us that we won’t be pulled in many directions, but He does promise that, no matter who or what tugs us, like my packages, we are connected to and protected by intentional and endless love.
Reflecting on my package experience, I think about how the items my parents send don’t quite look like what they’ve been through. In fact, the box they are in tells a different story. I imagine the package’s route to my house was shaken up, bumped, and rained on; nevertheless, the items in it were prepared, protected, and undamaged. Doesn’t this sound a lot like us? Shaken up, but not damaged. Prepared and therefore, predestined to persist. Instead of birthday gifts, it’s our hearts, desires, dreams, and healing that are nestled within the package of God’s purpose. And instead of a well-bundled box, it’s in His loving and caring hands that our precious lives are protected. As the childhood song sings, “He’s got the whole world in His hands”, and that world includes each of us.
This moment is an excellent reminder for me that we’re never too old to be cared for. From the tender care of our parents, friends, family, or partner, to the concern of our co-workers, neighbors, and community, to the affirming Words of God—It’s all a part of Him holding us. He’s got every aspect of our lives in His hands, and in His hands, we are more than conquerors because in His hands is unconquerable love. His hands can hold it all if only we’d place it there. It is my prayer this week that we surrender our lives to God’s hands, having the reassuring faith that in His love, He will handle them with divine care.
Reflection
What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
What do you need from the Holy Trinity to embrace God’s love and care for you?
What intention(s) do you want to set to connect and/or reconnect with being grounded this week?
Related Scriptures to Ground You Through this Week
Tuesday: Deuteronomy 31:8
Wednesday: Psalm 55
Thursday: Matthew 11:28-30
Friday: John 15:1-8
Saturday: Philippians 4:6-7
Sunday: 1 Peter 5:6-7
My Through-the-Week Reflection Guide
A Song of Inspiration
Quote of Love & Liberation
“As a Black Woman, I define self-care as the ability to safely and comfortably exhale.”
Bethanee