Sunday Inspirations: Faith… and a Bean Can

By Lisa Ramsey, 

Some people leave a mark on the world with grand accomplishments.
My mom? She did it with laughter, love… and apparently, a giant can of baked beans.

It’s been 13 years since she stepped into Heaven, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss her. But the stories she left behind? They still preach better than most sermons—and the one I’m about to share might be the funniest and most unexpectedly spiritual of them all.

My mom was the life of every room she entered. People just loved her. She had a contagious joy and a personality big enough to match her love for good shopping trips, girl outings, and her beloved Chevy Suburban. Even when she got older and moving around took more effort, she was determined to keep her independence—and her high-riding SUV.

Well, one day, after a girls’ shopping trip to Sam’s Club for church supplies, we were loading up the Suburban when I noticed she was struggling to get in. Before I could even offer help, she hollered:

“Give me a bean can!”

I blinked.
“What??”

She pointed to those massive industrial-sized baked bean cans Sam’s sells.
“Get me one of those cans and put it on the ground!”

Now, when your mother tells you to get her a giant bean can, you don’t ask questions. You just obey.

So, like the dutiful daughter I was, I grabbed one… still half-convinced she had completely lost her mind. But before I could wrap my head around it, she planted her foot right on that big ol’ bean can and hopped up into that Suburban like she was stepping onto a red carpet.

We were dying laughing.
Especially because a gentleman across the parking lot stood frozen—eyes wide, jaw dropped—trying to decide if he had just witnessed a miracle or a comedy routine.

But my mom didn’t care one bit. She trusted that bean can more than I would have trusted a step stool.

And right there in that Sam’s Club parking lot, in between the Suburban, the laughter, and that oversized can of baked beans, God dropped a little truth in my heart:

Faith doesn’t always look glamorous.
Sometimes it looks downright ridiculous.
But it works.

My mom wasn’t trying to preach a sermon that day, yet she illustrated one of the best faith truths there is:

“…Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.” — Matthew 17:20

Sometimes, the very thing God gives us to step on doesn’t look strong enough.
Sometimes His solution looks strange.
Sometimes His provision feels small, unexpected, or even confusing.

But when God tells you to step—
step.

When He places something under your feet—
trust it.

When He opens a way—
use it, even if people are watching with the same perplexed expression as that man in the parking lot.

Life gives us plenty of moments where getting from where we are to where we need to be seems impossible. We look at the height of the situation, the weight of the season, the roadblocks we face, and wonder how we’re ever going to make it.

And sometimes God’s answer comes in the simplest, humblest form.
Not a ladder.
Not a stage.
Not a grand moment of rescue.

Just a bean can.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5

I’ve learned that faith isn’t always polished.
It isn’t always pretty.
It isn’t always profound.

Sometimes it’s stepping onto the little thing God provides and believing it will hold.
Sometimes it’s choosing joy in the middle of grief.
Sometimes it’s laughing again after heartbreak.
Sometimes it’s remembering that the people we’ve loved and lost are waiting for us in Heaven — and that one day, the joy of reunion will wipe away every tear.

So today, if life feels too tall, too heavy, or too hard to climb…

Remember my mom.
Remember that can.
Remember that even in the most ordinary things, God gives us what we need to take the next step.

All you need is faith…
and sometimes, a bean can.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the beautiful gift of memories that still make us laugh years later. Thank You for moms who teach us lessons of faith in parking lots, with shopping carts, Suburbans, and—yes—even giant cans of baked beans.

Lord, when life feels too tall to climb or too heavy to carry, remind us that You always provide exactly what we need… even if it doesn’t look like the solution we expected. Help us trust the “bean cans” You place in our path—those simple, surprising moments of grace that lift us higher than we could lift ourselves.

Give us faith that steps boldly, joy that laughs freely, and courage that keeps moving forward—even when bystanders look at us like we’ve lost our minds.
And Lord, if You ever need to give us a little extra boost, thank You in advance for whatever You choose to put under our feet… we promise to step on it with faith, even if it comes from the canned goods aisle.

Keep our hearts steady, our spirits strong, and our laughter holy.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Be Blessed!

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