He Keeps Showing Up

Dericka Canada Cunningham
Sep 28
4 min read

Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder

September 29, 2025

This Week's Anchor

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

Do you ever find yourself so exhausted that you feel you have nothing left to give? I certainly have. As Black women, we carry a lot—and somehow with a smile. Studies and statistics show that we are breaking barriers on several fronts. Despite the rhetoric, Black women are flourishing in leadership positions within our government. Black women are at the center of revolutionary movements, initiatives, and endeavors. Additionally, Black women now surpass Black men in obtaining college degrees. Despite layers of obstacles, Black women manage to magic our way through just about anything, but at what cost? What these figures don’t reveal is the degree of self-sacrifice and fatigue that accompanies these achievements. I can recall many occasions where I’ve made the grade, tackled the task, or organized the event, only to be left feeling depleted. In fact, if I’m completely honest, many weeks I come to this sacred devotion-writing space empty. I open my Bible and laptop and stare at a blank screen, wondering what remnants of energy I can gather to inspire others. Nevertheless, each week God shows up.

I’ve been amazed at God’s beautifully Divine ability to make something out of my nothing—our anchor scripture this week illustrates this sentiment.

This passage reminds us that:

When we are exhausted and empty, there is more room for God to show up.
Our imperfections allow the demonstration of God’s perfect Power.
When we answer God’s call despite our concerns about our abilities, expertise, struggles, previous rejection, or experiences, He joins us in our humility.
When we are lost and can’t find our way, or when we don’t know what to say or do, it’s in Him that we find strength and direction.

I remember the moment I decided to finally follow God’s call to develop and launch this devotional community several years ago. At the time, we’d survived almost a year of forging through the pandemic, so I had a well-established virtual church routine. As I sat down to listen to a pastor whom I followed one Sunday, I heard the subject of the sermon (anchoring within the deep waters of faith with God) and thought, “Yes, this is just what I need”. As the pastor finished the sermon, he began to encourage listeners to delve deeper into the spiritual realm. He started naming specific things that folks might be called to. As he went down the list, he stated, “Maybe you’re being called to write that devotional.” This man could have been talking to thousands of others, but at that moment, I was utterly stunned that God had somehow spoken right to me through the computer screen. I felt drawn to this calling for over a decade, and I entered that year with the need for this devotional community weighing heavily on my heart.

Despite vividly hearing from God and knowing the right thing to do, I thought of every reason why this just couldn’t happen. I mean…we were in the middle of a global pandemic, I wasn’t too far into my journey of marriage and had just begun my journey of motherhood, I was feeling disconnected from a designated church community, and I had just reached a point of rest from trudging through several years of schooling and the licensing process. Simply put, I didn’t feel like taking a leap of faith, nor did I think I had what it took to make it happen. And yet, hearing directly from God on that Sunday was the intervention that I needed. I somehow gathered what little spark I had and surrendered to God, and many years and hundreds of weekly devotions later, here we are.

Sometimes, as in the story of Peter (Matthew 14: 22-33), God simply needs us to take a step of faith. God rarely reveals the entirety of His plans or much detail about our future paths, but when we make moves, He shows up at each step. Like 2021 pre-GBW Dericka, you might hear God calling you into a season, ministry, initiative, and/or mindset. Maybe you have dreams that have been envisioned since you were young, or passions that you’ve been disconnected from over the recent years. Perhaps you’ve been called to start an organization, write a book, launch a podcast, or create space for a particular community. Or maybe you set personal or professional goals this year that you have yet to approach. Whatever it is, if you feel God leading you to it, commit to giving God your “yes”. Remember that God doesn’t need you to be perfect and complete; He will meet you in your weaknesses and provide His divine complement to your purpose—one small step at a time.

Reflection

What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
What are you currently feeling called to? What gets in the way of your responding to this calling?
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