Daily Devotions
A Lifelong Portrait
A Special Tribute to Caneta Hall (1929-2020)
Title: A Lifelong Portrait
Reading for February 21: Deuteronomy 1-2
"Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us."
Deuteronomy 1:19
I had just finished preaching a lesson at Embry Hills in Atlanta on the virtuous wife of Proverbs 31 when Caneta came walking up to me with much energy and intensity. There was a look of concern written all over her face. She said to me, "I tell these young mothers that Proverbs 31 is not a snapshot. You can't do all the virtuous woman did in one day."
No doubt Caneta was worried about my wife (among other young mothers), who, at the time was doing everything she could to raise of our three young children; heaping loads of guilt on herself that she wasn't able to do more for others. (And especially after hearing my exposition of Proverbs 31!)
Caneta then added this beautiful pearl of wisdom and perspective that I will never forget. She passionately exclaimed, "Proverbs 31 is not a snapshot, it's a lifelong portrait of service to God!"
I wonder how often our dear sister felt like she had not done enough? Probably most every day she lived. And yet we look back on all she did to serve the Lord and we cannot but give thanks and praise to our God for all she accomplished in her life.
Look at the five children she raised. Adrienne and I were able to get to know Cherri, Rose, and Sara in our twelve years at Embry Hills. We could go on and on about how each one of them in their own unique ways have served the Lord and made invaluable contributions to the Kingdom. We don't know Gardner and Holly as well, but we have come to admire and respect each of them for the indispensable contributions each of them have made to the Kingdom.
Then you have Caneta's work alongside her husband. Before we left Embry Hills back in 2013 we had Sewell and Caneta to come over to the house to talk to our children along with the rest of their Middle School Bible class. They talked about all their adventures going to places like Africa and Europe and different places in the United States to preach the gospel. It was an evening I will never forget. The kids were spellbound for well over an hour and a half as Sewell and Caneta shared the many ways they had been blessed by God to share the gospel all over the world. We heard about what it was like to live in a strange culture; about times God rescued them and providentially provided for them during trials; about the joy of seeing the Word planted in good and honest hearts and bearing fruit.
And yet I am certain that Caneta felt like most other women trying to measure up to Proverbs 31. No matter how much she did, it was still not enough.
This picture of us with the Halls was taken after their last service at Embry Hills before they moved to New York. Sewell and Caneta were already years past "retirement age," and yet they weren't slowing down one bit. Sewell saw an opportunity to help a small struggling work in a very large and intimidating urban center. He knew he had the wisdom and experience to help. He knew he had the influence to be able to raise the financial support needed to live in such an expensive place like Manhattan. But above all, he knew he had a wife who could handle the stress and the pressure of such a move with strength and grace.
Yes, this picture is a treasure to Adrienne and me. It's a picture of us holding our children next to two of our heroes: a true evangelist ready to take on a new challenge late in his life, and his strong as steel wife smiling sweetly beside him ready to go with him on another adventure.
But this picture is just a snapshot in a long and beautiful life story. Our beloved sister Caneta has finished her journey through the wilderness. She's passed on to the land her Lord promised her. And the lifelong portrait she has left behind is a masterpiece indeed.
Father, thank you for taking our sister on to her reward. And thank you for the legacy of faith and service she has left behind for all of us.
