My new friend says she doesn’t want to become complacent and lose enthusiasm for improving her situation and making the changes she desperately needs to make.
We’ve helped her find a comfortable environment with some space to breathe and not be under as much pressure as she’s endured the past few years.
She has an exhausting list of complicated items to work her way through to find a stable foundation on which to build a sustainable life going forward, and she’s chipping away one by one.
It’s been encouraging to watch her tackle the hardest items first and then reshuffle the deck to see what needs attention next.
At the same time, she truly is tired and the temptation to settle in and enjoy the reprieve is real.
A group of friends are working to help her find the right rhythms so she can begin to heal, have moments of peace throughout the day and add in healthier choices while also staying motivated toward the goal.
The discipline, precision and organizational skills needed to assist her while maintaining our own responsibilities and routines has become a fresh growth opportunity for all of us.
Her mentioning a fear of becoming too comfortable, which could lead to a more sedate flow through the days, resonated with us as we realized how we all can find ourselves in a similar situation.
In fact, the more exact our days and weeks become, it could be even more tempting to resist any adjustments or unexpected requests.
Willing to help
As we’ve divvied out the list of things to do and resources to find, we’ve found in some cases it’s the people with their own overwhelmed lives who are more willing to help than those who seem to have excess time, energy and resources to spare.
It’s also been interesting to hear an individual or two mention being bored and wanting to find more to do in life, but when we suggest serving those who need a hand up, it falls on deaf ears.
Still, we’ve encountered lots of people sharing enormous time, energy and resources — and we’ve been encouraged and inspired by their efforts.
We all are attempting to find our way in how much is appropriate to share and how much is too much. We also are giving each other grace when our own situations require pulling back for a time.
Another area of growth for me is celebrating all the wins, no matter how small it may seem in the moment. A good friend reminded me recently that every step forward is a milestone.
Focusing on the next item in front of us or even the next half hour and tackling it with success is a win. Over time, those small wins build into some major success stories.
So, while we do want to keep our end goal in mind and allow ourselves the opportunity to dream about where we want to head next, the daily work needs to be focused on bite sizes.
Opening our hearts and minds to let the Holy Spirit work within us will carry us places we might not have imagined on our own. It also will give us the courage needed to follow God’s plan even when it seems intimidating.
Surrounding ourselves with friends who will cheer us on while keeping us grounded makes a difference. And if they are truly praying for and with us, then, wow, watch out world!
Crabtree joins TAB Media Group
We are excited to welcome Cameron Crabtree to our team as a special assignments editor.
He has been a longtime friend of The Baptist Paper and TAB Media Group and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our efforts.
Crabtree served 22 years as communications team leader for the Northwest Baptist Convention, which serves Washington, Oregon and north Idaho. He was editor of the Northwest Baptist Witness until it ceased publication at the end of 2025.
He previously served a decade as director of public relations for California’s then-Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (now Gateway Seminary) and before that as news editor for the then-California Southern Baptist newspaper.
Crabtree holds a master of arts in theological studies from Gateway and will be a tremendous help to our team on a lot of levels, especially connecting us to Baptists serving in the west and northwest.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Jennifer Davis Rash, president and editor-in-chief of TAB Media Group. This editorial appeared in the January 29 edition of The Baptist Paper. Click here to subscribe.
