Category Faith

Stop Swatting

Monica Cane Leave a comment

Be still and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10

One morning, while resting in my oversized lounge chair preparing to read a devotional, I heard that familiar buzzing sound near my ear—mosquitoes.

Over the past few weeks, non-biting male mosquitoes had been released in our area to mate with female biting mosquitoes. The goal? Produce eggs that won’t hatch, eventually decreasing the biting mosquito population in our community. While I’m glad fewer biting mosquitoes will be around, I’m not thrilled that once a week, hundreds of tiny males are released right at the edge of our lawn. Naturally, the moment we open our front door, dozens make their way inside.

So there I was, candle lit, devotional open, trying to enjoy quiet time with God, when all I could hear was: buzz, buzz, buzz.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed our electric bug-zapping racket and returned to the chair, waving it like a wild woman in the dark. Between the flickering candlelight and the racket’s glowing blue zap, I must have looked ridiculous. Despite all my swatting, I never caught a single mosquito. Instead, I had completely lost focus on my devotional and my time with God.

As I sat back, frustrated and exhausted, a thought crossed my mind: I wonder if the devil is happy that I’m so busy swatting the air that I’ve lost sight of God?

That thought stopped me in my tracks. I didn’t want to give the enemy the satisfaction. I placed the racket upright on my lap, devotional in hand, and sensed a whisper in my soul: Be still and know that I am God.

It seemed strange in the moment—sitting there armed like a bug-zapping warrior—but as I leaned into that verse, something shifted. My mind calmed. My spirit settled. The buzzing became background noise. I was present with God.

And then, without me even trying, sparks suddenly flew. One by one, the mosquitoes flew straight into the glowing racket and were zapped. Problem solved—without all my frantic swatting.

That moment hit me hard. How often do I do the same thing in life? When things don’t go my way, I swat. I fret. I stress. I spin my wheels in frustration, wasting all my energy instead of resting in God.

But the truth is, all my swatting never fixes anything.

Psalm 46:10 reminds us to stop striving, stop flailing, stop stressing—and simply be still. God is fully capable of handling our distractions, annoyances, frustrations, and even our deepest needs. Sometimes He does it quietly, sometimes in unexpected ways—even through a bug-zapping racket.

So the next time life’s distractions start buzzing around your head, don’t waste your energy swatting aimlessly. Take a deep breath. Lean into God. Be still.

And know—He really is God.

Headless Love

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While walking from my car, through a parking lot, to art class recently, I was having an inner dialogue with God about how hard it is for me to stay focused. My brain tends to go in about 4 different directions at any given moment, and about what you may ask? Who knows.

This day was no exception. I was explaining to God about how I wish I wasn’t like that. How I wish I had better focus, especially during times of prayer or while reading a devotional. That’s when my mind really seems to wander.

It’s one of those what-I-want-to-do, I-don’t-do and what-I-don’t-want-to-do-I-do kind of the things that the Apostle Paul speaks of in the book of Romans. It’s annoying to say the least. Anywho, as I prattled on to God about how it feels to be easily distracted, I glanced down before stepping up onto a curb and something caught my eye.

A miniature plastic doll with a purple shirt and scuff marks everywhere including its naked bum (probably due to being stepped on by oblivious passer-byers) was face down in the gutter.

Normally, I would have been an oblivious passer-byer myself and wouldn’t have even thought twice about the tiny beat up toy, but I just had to stop and pick it up when I realized the doll lost its head. That’s right, I literally found a headless doll in the gutter while talking with God about my own distracted head.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud and say to God, Yep, this is exactly how it feels sometimes.

I strolled into art class a few moments later with the headless doll in my pocket and a big smile.

I am certain God brought my attention to the pint size headless toy to remind me not to worry so much. I may be easily distracted, but He sees me, He loves me and He fully gets me, no matter where my head is at.

  

One Word…Trickle

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Summers in the central valley are just plain hot.  Fortunately, today is expected to be a much cooler day—10 to 15 degrees cooler than it has been for the last month.   I’ll gladly take today’s 92 degrees before it spikes up again.  A few days ago when it was a lovely 105 degrees, I drove our golf cart over to a little spot in town that has a man-made fountain, with boulders and a few trees surrounding it.  This tiny slice of heaven is located near the freeway exit and across from Starbucks.  Even though it’s located near a busy area, I do get a sense of “getting away from it all” whenever I go there to sit on the stone bench and watch the two fountains do their thing.

Parking the little golf cart nearby, I walked toward the fountains, taking in the sound of rushing water and instantly felt a bit cooler and more relaxed.

In the middle of the two erupting fountains that were shooting water at least 15 feet in the air, I noticed a little trickle of water coming from one part of the rocks.  I’ve seen it before but never really zeroed in on it like I was this day.

Eyeing the little trickle, I glanced back and forth  between the large fountains and then back again to  the trickle and then felt inclined to speak my mind.

God, the large fountains gorgeously shooting water 15 plus feet in the air, making their bold statement is how I feel inside about my purpose in life. The bigger impact is what I thought you wanted of me, yet the reality is that you use me much more like the small trickle over and over, in little ways after a lot of hard work.   I’ve recognized the value of those small moments but if I’m honest, it’s been frustrating to have a big want with a small outcome.

Voicing my genuine thoughts to God, I looked at the trickle of water again.  Yes, it was small, but it actually was very beautiful, very relaxing and very much part of the overall design of the fountain.

On that day, speaking my truth, God revealed His. The trickle really does have just as much impact as the large gushing fountain, it is just a matter of timing, need, perspective.  In other words, God uses big gushes and little trickles at just the right time, for His purpose.  Both are part of His overall design.

Comfort comes in many different shapes and sizes.

It can be a strong hug from a trusted friend, snuggling with your favorite blanket or enjoying a heaping serving of mashed potatoes with a pat of butter melted on top.  All of those things and more have offered comfort to me at different times. But  today, comfort comes in the shape of two tiny dimes in my pocket.  

I put on a pair of jeans this morning that I hadn’t worn in a while and went for a much needed walk.  I had just received a phone call that my ninety-two year old mother, who is in a nursing facility, somehow fell out of her bed and fractured her hip.  

Talk about a hopeless feeling when you are four-hundred miles away and have to  wait for the doctor to call and let you know if your mom, who is in an extremely confused state, will be healthy enough to withstand a surgery to repair her hip and if not, what that could possibly mean.

So I opted for a walk to settle my mind and focus my thoughts on the presence of God, asking Him to be with mom in the hospital room where she is at, and also to be with me as I wait.

It was a bit chilly, so I shoved my right hand in my pocket and felt a small, circular item. I pulled it out and saw that it was a shiny, little dime.   I’m not sure why I found it so peculiar, it’s not like I’ve never had change in my pocket before.  Nonetheless, it warmed my heart a bit as I slipped the little dime back in my pocket.

I continued walking while praying and reflecting when the wind picked up again. I shoved my right hand back in my pocket and this time, I felt two circular items.  I pulled both dimes out of my pocket in surprise and examined them.  One was from 1977, the other from 2024.  Both coins, forty-seven years apart, shiny and simple had been tucked away in my pocket for who knows how long, but now they were in my hand.  

Suddenly, I felt a sense of comfort just at the sight and feel of these two little coins.  Their earthly value is only twenty cents, not even enough to buy a candy bar, yet for some unknown reason, holding them made me feel a sense of comfort and security.

Perhaps it’s because I’m the kind of person who tends to trust God with big, overwhelming things but completely flips out over small details especially when it includes waiting.

My mom fracturing her hip is big, I can give that to God.  Me, patiently waiting for the Doctor’s call and addressing all the little details that will inevitably come up is not nearly as big, but I tend to hold onto those little things and can get myself pretty worked up.

So as I turn the dimes over and over in my hand and accept the comfort they give, I think maybe, just maybe God gave me these two tiny dimes in my pocket today to remind me that He not only takes care of the BIG things but He also takes care of every tiny, little detail, including the waiting as well.

One Word… Dimes

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One Word…Cups

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I have quite a few coffee cups in my kitchen cupboard that are meaningful to me.  So meaningful in fact, that everyone in my family knows that they are not allowed to use any of my cups without me getting just a little bit crazy.  Let me tell you about it.

There is my weekday cup that I fill with delicious hot coffee before starting work. This was given to me by a coworker-friend.  The cup says, “People Person” on it, which is a perfect description of me, so naturally, no one else in my family needs to use this cup.  

Then there is the cup I typically use on Saturday mornings.  My husband bought me this one and it says “Caffeine First, Talk Later.”  My husband clearly understands me so why would anyone else think to use this particular cup.  

I have a bright neon yellow cup that I use on occasion that someone gave me years ago.  This cup says, “Everyday is a Gift from God.”   I save this cup for when I’m really feeling down.  One sip from this bright, inspirational mug and my gloomy perspective can’t help but change.  Now that I think about it, I probably should let others use this one and be encouraged as well. But I’m not promising anything.

There is also my brown Cal State Fullerton cup that I drank from every day when my son first went away to college as a way to feel connected to him. I don’t drink from it as often now that he’s back at home but in case it hasn’t been established, it’s mine.

It was my son in fact, who kicked off this whole obsession with coffee cups when he was little. He picked out a cute ceramic cup with bright orange and blue flowers painted on it from the Dollar Store as a Christmas present.  To this day, this cup reminds me of the beauty of a child’s love. So does the “Best Mom Ever” cup I received from one of my daughter’s a few Christmases later.  

All these significant associations with my cups is why I am the only one who is allowed to drink from them. It seems simple enough, even though my family thinks I’m a little crazy.  

Today is Sunday. Sunday’s are a pick whichever cup you are feeling day.  As I scanned my cups in the cupboard, contemplating which cup would best fit my mood.  I knew exactly which one I needed to pick.   It is a 16 ounce, plain aqua colored cup that was given to me by a former boss who became a dear friend during our time of working together who has since passed away.   This is the cup I always tend to reach for when I’m feeling a bit vulnerable.  

Feelings of vulnerability hit me most when God seems to be stretching me and growing me in one area or another.  The last few days He has been giving me a good stretch and teaching more about myself.  It’s a good thing but it’s also hard.  Drinking from this large cup reminds me that I can sit with my uncomfortable feelings of vulnerability and trust that God will see me through to the other side.  He literally has done so every single stretching time. Still, I need to slow down and sip from a cup like this for a calm reassuring reminder.

I’m finding that cups are a bit like our heart and soul.  They can be big and beautiful or small and dainty.  Whatever the shape or size they can go from being completely empty one moment to being filled to the rim and even overflowing the next.  If not careful they can break but with a little effort they can also be beautifully repaired.  

Sometimes my heart and soul feels like a full cup of joy, other times it feels like an empty cup of sadness.  Regardless, God continues to show me that each cup has its place in my life and He is present for it all. 

Hustle. Oh how I can love that word.   I’ve been one to hustle for as long as I can remember. 

How about you?

Personally, I’m not the “climb the corporate ladder” type of hustler, I’m more of a “keep it moving, do good, and make a difference” kind of hustler. 

What about you?

In all my hustle over the years, particularly as a believer, my sincere desire has been to honor God through it all  But here is a question I have had to ask myself a lot lately. 

Am I really doing all this hustling for the glory of God or am I doing it for another reason?

I would like to  believe that I do all things for the glory of God, but I have noticed too many times that when I finish that great thing I felt God wanted me to do,  my joy about bringing Him glory can quickly fade into an anxious discontentment. Before I know it, I’m looking around for what’s next.   If I was truly doing all things for the glory of God, would I really be anxiously longing for the next hustle so soon? 

Have you ever felt that way, or is this just me?

This anxious discontentment happened so many times after completing something, that I finally got the courage to ask myself a hard question: Is it possible that I don’t feel quite enough without the hustle?  

The more I asked myself this question, the clearer the answer became.  For me, yes, it is absolutely possible to not feel enough without the hustle because I easily confuse my “do” with my “who.”   

Thankfully, asking hard questions and diving into God’s word can bring clear answers.   

Am I enough without the hustle?  Are you?

According to God, the answer is: One Thousand Percent, Yes! 

He gets us, ya know. We are His creation, His handiwork. There was no anxious hustle when He made us. He knew what He was doing with us then and He knows what He is doing with us now.  

We are enough without the hustle.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10

One Word…Hustle

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One Word…Cornbread

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Is cornbread really a good choice for the word of the day? I mean as soon as you hear cornbread, you can’t help but have images of hot melted butter and drizzled honey flash through your mind, causing a bit of drool.  While that is a delightful image, that’s not actually why I chose cornbread for the word for today. It actually has to do with a person I recently learned about.

Cornbread, is actually the name of an artist.  His real name is Darryl McCray and he is credited as being one of the first graffiti artists from Philadelphia in the 1960’s. Cornbread is his tag name and as the story goes, Cornbread wrote his name, in block style on walls everywhere throughout the city of Philly in order to impress his crush, a young lady named Cynthia.   

I have no idea if he ever won the girl’s heart but expressing himself in such a creative fashion got me thinking.  We are all artists in our own way.  God created each and everyone of us with various gifts, talents, and passions.  We may or may not have been given the gift of painting on walls, but perhaps we have been given the gift of listening, or a warm smile that causes someone to feel safe, or maybe the gift of baking literal cornbread.  Whatever the gift is, you can be assured it is from God and it is for the distinct purpose of expressing His love and kindness to others.  Like our friend Cornbread, we are artists in our own way and we are gifted and called to share the beautiful art of God’s love everywhere we go.

One Word…Accomplishment

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Word of the day: Accomplishment

Oh the things I have accomplished in my fifty-eight years.  I have been faithfully married for over 31 years, have had four beautiful children, survived the loss of one, owned four homes, ran a successful restaurant and catering business, owned a coffee shop and have worked countless jobs since I was thirteen. I’ve participated in programs to help the youth, facilitated bible studies, spoke at various ladies groups and have written and published six books to name just a few.  Out of all the things that I have accomplished thus far in my life, my biggest accomplishment is and will always be that one private moment, thirty years ago, when I had the courage to invite Jesus into my heart. When I surrendered myself and asked Him to not only be my Savior but to be my Lord for the rest of my life.  The One who leads, guides, provides, corrects, protects, heals, and comforts with His infinite love every moment of every day. Surrendering ones heart to Jesus, that’s our greatest accomplishment.

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One Word…Words

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Of all the words to reflect on, the word “words” is one of the most significant.

Words are powerful.  One simple spoken word can encourage, lift-up, inspire, heal and bring hope.  While one careless spoken word can quickly teardown, dishearten, wound and cause great sadness. 

Words are powerful. Not just the words we say out loud to others, but also the words we quietly, subconsciously say to ourselves. 

Lost. Dumb. Boring. Hopeless. Unworthy. Fat.  What a waste of words to consume our thoughts.

How many times have we allowed negative words to take up space in our head, in our heart?  Or is that just me?   I have allowed negative words, negative self-talk to float around my mind without even realizing it until eventually a sense of grief settles over me.  That’s when it dawns on me that I’ve been wasting time by allowing the wrong kind of words, words that serve no purpose to clutter my thoughts for far too long.

Fortunately, it only takes a moment to turn our words around. Life. Health. Whole. Joy. Smart. Beautiful. Loved.

These are the kind of powerful words worth speaking, worth meditating on, worth flooding our own minds with and worth sharing with others.

One Word…Stones

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I gathered a handful of smooth stones on a  sandy beach sometime back.  I tucked my favorite ones in my pocket then placed them in a special cup for a keepsake when I arrived home.  Today I felt inclined to look at them.  I stack three similar looking stones on top of each other.  As I admire them, I am reminded of my husband. His personality, his nature– Solid, Strong, Steady.   I then create a separate stack of three different looking stones one on top of each other. When one stone topples, I consider them and see myself.  My personality, my nature.  Unique, Complex, Varied. And it is good.

Two contrasting stacks of stones, individually delightful by themselves but so complimenting-ly beautiful together.