One of my favorite things to do is sit on the porch while watching the birds come to the feeder. When the weather is nice, my preferred place for my morning quiet time is on the porch with my open Bible and a very large cup of coffee.  Something that often appears when I am not paying close attention are sneaky squirrels. One will climb to the top of the tree and then jump onto the feeder to claim some of the food for its own. As the bird feeder sways, the entire contents fall to the ground below. A full bird feeder is now left empty. The squirrel has absolutely no fear of me as I try to send him away. He still lunges as though I can’t see him and will only scramble to leave when I get very close. That sneaky squirrel is awfully persistent. He will leave, however, as soon as he thinks I am not watching again will reappear doing the same thing again and again. As I was watching this transpire one morning, The Lord impressed upon my heart that just like those sneaky squirrels there are many distractors in our life that can sneak up on us and leave us feeling empty and depleted. They strike close to home. The past few days I have found myself really just wanting things to go back to the way they were.  As each event has gotten removed from my calendar, I have felt as though I was becoming a little more defeated and depleted. Our three kids are all struggling and wrestling with this, each in their own way. At times, I am not sure how to even help them. As I was fussing at that sneaky squirrel The Lord laid this on my heart and it provided me with such comfort.

John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” In another version of the Bible the word “abundantly” is used.   An abundant and full life – That seems like a challenge right now doesn’t it? Amidst the fear, anxiety, and stress of Covid-19, doesn’t it seem so easy to allow Satan to deplete our spiritual supply of joy, peace, and hope? Each time the squirrel squanders my bird food, I have to refill the feeder for the birds to feast on again.  It is an active choice to not leave that feeder empty – one I have to make time and time again. We have to make this same choice today, tomorrow, and the day after by refilling our spiritual supply with God’s Word.  God led me to John 16:23-24 on that morning as I was berating that squirrel.  These verses have brought me so much comfort the past few days of quarantine. John 16: 23 and 24, “In that day, you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” My prayer for your family and mine is that we will not allow our enemy to steal our joy and deplete our spiritual supply little by little, but rather allow Our Risen Savior to fill us with His infinite peace and joy.

  Key #1 – Supplication (3) – “hear when I call to Him”

I’ve heard the phrase “I just want things to go back to normal” many times the past few days. The things that my children often complain about are now their heart’s desire. The normalcy of early wake-up times, athletic practices, car lines, and school lunches are all gone. A full plate of activities is now suddenly empty.

Ephesians 3:17-18, “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

      The word roots means different things to different people. Whether it is physical tree roots, graying hair roots (much like mine lately :), or spiritual roots, the best roots are strong and healthy with the ability to sustain the most powerful storm.

During this time, let’s focus on what we can accomplish with our families. Let’s dig deep, go farther, and use this extra time to reexamine our roots.

     My husband, Stephen and I have three kids at three different ages in very different seasons of life. We are blessed with a 7^th grader, 3^rd grader, and a 4 year old. It is completely overwhelming to me at times that The Lord chose me to be their mother.  There are many moments where I wish I could have a second chance to just get it right. In the wake of losing my mom to cancer in 2012, if I am honest, there are times when I wish that I could just bypass Mother’s Day. As always, God’s grace is sufficient; however, it is still hard to see the mother’s day cards in the store, the cakes in the bakery, and the flowers declaring “happy mother’s day.” For some, it is just not happy. God led me to share this devotion from Proverbs 31. I hope that it will encourage you in whatever season you find yourself this Mother’s Day weekend!

      The first time I studied Proverbs 31, I honestly laughed a little. The words listed below are not typically ones heard in the day to day aspect of being a mom:

      I did some research this week and found that the average woman speaks 20,000 words a day, while the average man speaks 7,000. I would say that I am probably well above average in this category – lol.  Once our words come out of our mouth or after they are posted on social media, there is no retrieving them. I can still remember my 4^th grade Sunday School teacher explaining the above with a tube of toothpaste. She proceeded to squirt a whole tube of toothpaste out onto a plate and then asked us to place it back in the tube. We couldn’t complete that task. It is the same way with our spoken words. Think about what words are “oozing” from your mouth. What you are sharing with your children? What are you posting on social media? Does it glorify The Lord? I have to constantly keep a watch on my tongue.

I = In His Strength (Verse 17)

     Verse 17 says, “…she girds herself with strength.” In order to be the woman that God is calling us to be requires that it must be done in His strength and not our own. I heard something once that I have never forgotten. It was stated that in regard to parenting- the goal should be for your children to move from dependence on us to dependence on God.  Satan loves when we gird ourselves in OUR own strength. He knows that when he can get us to accomplish something on our own, that most times it will fail miserably. In His Strength, not in ________________ (write your name) strength! Isaiah 41:10 is one of my favorites. Claim it this week in regards to your family.

D = Dressed in Riches (verses 21, 22, 25)

      In verses 21, 22, and 25 you will find several words relating to how we should dress. Scarlet. Fine Linen. Purple. Strength. Honor. I love to shop. I always tend to gravitate toward the same style and color of dress when I go shopping. My husband, Stephen will often say, “That looks like one you already have.” Honestly, I tend to buy it anyway if I like it. It made me think this week that I do have a lot of outfits in the same color. God nudged my heart with the fact that I often get comfortable and gravitate toward a similar pattern in my relationship with Him. Think about your wardrobe spiritually speaking? Does your physical wardrobe look pristine while spiritually you are dressing in tattered rags? Are you falling apart on the inside when in Christ we have access to fine linen and royal purple garments? God wants to take us this week from rags to the riches that He offers!

E = Extends Equipping Grace (verse 20)

     Verse 20 talks about extending a hand to those in need. I want you to think about how Jesus invested in his disciples for a moment. He lived with them, taught them, instructed them, fished with them, and traveled with them. Although Jesus ministered to and loved on the masses of people that followed Him, he primarily devoted himself to the work of a few in order that the masses may be reached more effectively. He invested in them with an intent focus to train and equip them for when He was no longer there. He corrected them when needed and then sent them on their own journey. As a mom, we have to equip our children by giving them the tools they need and then at some point extend that grace by sending them out. I am not in that season of being a mom but pray that God grants me the time to get there. You and I are not promised another moment, day, or month. God reminded me this week that – Spiritual investments will never return void! Sometimes though it’s hard to see our impact in the day to day routine of life. But, verse 28 reminds us that there is a day when our children will thank us for our investment. Aren’t you glad that what we do truly matters to our family, and to the Lord? 

     I felt like the Lord gave me a specific Word this past week for anyone that serves the Lord in a ministry that may be suffering symptoms of burnout. Please pray often for those that lead in ministries. Did you realize that South Carolina leads the nation in forced ministerial resignations and pastor suicide? I encourage you to stop and pray for the men and women of God that serve in your church today.

     In first Kings Chapter 18 Elijah had boldly stood against over 800 prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel. He had prayed and God had sent fire from heaven. It was an incredible movement of God. Elijah and the people had an incredible mountaintop experience. But in the very next chapter, Elijah is so weary and worn down that he is hiding in a cave. Have you ever felt like Elijah? In 1 Kings Chapter 19 we see several familiar signs of burnout.

      The next day as I sat in the waiting room, I anxiously waited for the nurse to call my name. As I lay down for the CT Scan, I looked up and saw the photo included with this post. I asked the technician if I could take this photo. As tears streamed down my face during the scan, I was reminded that no matter the outcome, God knows my name. It was written so clearly on this machine. As the machine took the images, all I could think of was my children. The moments that I often complain about- the packing lunches, the loads of laundry, the toys all over the house. How that in a day, life can surely change with the outcome of one test. As soon as I left, my name disappeared, and the board reflected another name for another scan.

The verses that God had given me for this particular week were Isaiah 43:1-2. At the end of verse 1 it says, “…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.”

     When Stephen and I saw the specialist just an hour after the CT Scan, she said she was confused. She showed us the CT scan images and said there was nothing there. The tumor that had been there just a few days before was no longer showing on these new images. She was puzzled, however, Stephen and I were not. We knew that God had performed a miracle. She said, “Mrs. Cannon when your doctor called me yesterday he was very concerned. Frankly, I thought we would be looking at surgery next week. However, there is nothing to operate on.”

     As I walked out of the waiting room that day, I was flooded with thoughts of thanksgiving.

     Nadine Collier became famous in June of 2015 for three words she said to Dylan Roof, the young white man who a few days earlier had gunned down her mother and eight other African-Americans during a Wed. Bible study at their Charleston church: “I forgive you.” With those words about the June 17, 2015 killings, Collier set off a global debate about forgiveness. Over a year later, her grief is heavy. Collier misses the sound of her mother’s voice, the smile on her face she greeted worshipers as an usher at Emanuel AME Church, the spring in her step when she led the procession for Communion. Collier said that she learned in the bond hearing that forgiveness isn’t weak. It’s not resignation or a duty done begrudgingly. And it is not easy. Here is her full address to Roof: