Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder
August 5, 2024
This Week's Anchor
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:26-27 (NIV)
Where do I even begin with this week’s devotion? This topic comes to me as I wade through a lot of emotion after learning of the passing of a beloved family member. It’s tough to process the unexpected death of loved ones, especially those who are young and who moved through their lives with the purest of hearts. Some of you may, unfortunately, understand. I know I for certain have been at this place before—a space where the sense of unfairness weighs heavy on me. Moments where I talk to God honestly from my raw feelings, asking Him, “Why do good people die young? Die tragically? Why do unexpected health issues arise? Why can’t they be fixed? Why does this loved one have to be sacrificed? Why not someone else less pure-hearted? Why do mean-spirited people live long?”
As I ask God these questions, there are often no immediate answers. A bush doesn’t burn next to me explaining why life is unfair. The sky doesn’t crack open with a scroll outlining why things are the way they are. But, over the years, when I’ve found myself in these moments, pleading to God for answers, I am assured by the presence of the Holy Trinity with me. As the tears fall, I feel the comfort and peace rain on me. And by the end of every moment with God, I feel encouraged by the sovereignty of His purpose and the reality that this world isn’t our eternal home—each of us passing by.
As I navigate my present grief, I hear Divine echoes of this same message. I leave my ‘little talks with Jesus’ grateful, grounded, and reminded of this humbling truth. These talks often feel reminiscent of the moment the disciples had with Jesus in John chapter 14, where Jesus comforts and encourages them in preparation for His own death. Like me, the disciples had many questions. The impending death of Jesus didn’t make sense to them. They were confused, concerned, and afraid. Nevertheless, Jesus offered them His comfort, assurance, and peace in the same way He provided me in my desperate moments.
Life is a constant challenge, but the past few years have been tough in both collective and unique ways for many of us. Grief, anxiety, and trauma have hovered over us like dark clouds. Some have endured cumulative grief, and for many, the world hasn’t seemed the least bit fair or reasonable. If you are reading this devotion and this space of unfair grief resonates with you, I first want to acknowledge and honor every raw emotion and thought you’ve waded through and continue to wade through along the way. I then want to offer the loving presence of the Holy Trinity to anchor you as you continue navigating your journey.
The clearest image of God’s love and care for us amid our desperate seasons was illustrated to me a couple of years ago in a sweet parenting moment. My Sunday evenings are almost always predictable—they usually involve either me or my husband putting my daughter to bed and then me taking a moment of solitude to finalize and prepare for the upcoming week’s GBW devotion. My daughter usually falls asleep quickly, but one Sunday, I was tasked with bedtime duties, and not long after getting her into bed, I noticed through her room monitor that she was more fidgety than usual. As the night continued, I heard a sound from my daughter’s monitor: “Mommy? Mommy!” My husband and I were used to movement, whimpers, and sometimes whines through the monitor, but at that moment, something about my daughter calling out my name alerted me and caught my attention. I went to her bedroom to inquire what she needed. She needed to use the restroom, so I led her to the bathroom and tucked her back into bed. As I walked back that night, I thought about how God, like a parent, shows up for us when we call to Him desperately needing His help.
Like my experience as a parent to my daughter, God doesn’t need much to hear our cries for Him. We need not sift through all our emotions, pray a particular way, or engage in a specific order of rituals. However, if we simply call for and speak to Him in our own words, in our pain, despair, curiosity, confusion, and grief, He will show up exactly where we are, asking and giving us exactly what we need.
As we enter another week, may we each feel confident in knowing that God will never leave or forsake us, even when life is hard and especially when life’s unfair. God sees us and hears us. He feels us and understands. He graciously invites our honest and humble emotions and questions, and when we enter His presence in pain, we can leave it with unexplainable and unshakable peace.
Reflection
What is resonating for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
What do you need from the Holy Trinity in your current season?
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
Genesis 50:19-21
Deuteronomy 31:6
2 Chronicles 16:9
Matthew 11:28-30
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
My Through-the-Week Reflection Guide
A Song of Inspiration
Quote of Love & Liberation
“Life is very short and what we have to do must be done in the now.”
Audre Lorde
Amen 🙏🏾💞
Amen 🙏🏽
Amen!