You Can DO This…My Friend Once Told Me

I have a friend who is equal parts charm and pluck. She has this effortless way about her. With long, wavy red hair, sparkly eyes, and a smile that measures ear-to-ear, she’s fiery, spicy, and the kindest of souls. She’s six-feet-two-inches tall (true story, I felt like you needed to know). She does no harm, pulls no punches, and is nicer than your grandma, yet she has tenacity like no one I know for the things that matter. She’s a southern belle living in New York City by way of Los Angeles. She spends her days caring for two little boys, advocating for restorative justice, and writing. She treats those in her world like they mean the world, even if only to her. If she loves you, you know it. Her love is palpable. Outrageous. Generous. Over the top.

In one hand my friend has a white-knuckle grip on generosity, and in the other she has a death-grip on liberty—and she won’t let go. As Christ has done a redemptive work in her life, she is spending her life on loving others with such an authentic spirit, waving the flag of mercy and grace over their hearts. She’s an old-fashioned truth-teller who will speak life into you and fight for you; and like Aaron in Exodus 17, who held up the arms of Moses to help fight the battle, she’ll be there when you fight your battles. Your battles, your plans, your dreams—they matter to her. Your life matters to her. She makes sure you know it.

Years ago when my husband and I were in the adoption process, she gave us a financial gift we weren’t expecting to help us bring our sweet boy, Lucius, home. A few months after we lost him in the adoption process, she flew up and wept with me on my birthday, a bittersweet day full of loss and joy. Another time when I found myself at an impasse, faced with a decision that I knew would disrupt the status quo and make waves yet also knew in my heart of hearts was the right thing to do, she said to me emphatically, “You can do this.” While that sounds ridiculously simple, I needed a big fat reminder that I could do hard things. When she had an opportunity to write for the biggest online faith-based platform in the world, she insisted the powers that be and I connect. She opened a door for me that I could not have opened myself. She is a blessed woman with dreams and desires beating in her own heart, and with a generous spirit she shares her blessings.

You know for sure by this point that each and every one of us was created with gifts, talents, and abilities. With those unique qualities we can be a blessing when we combine our mad skills with a compassionate heart. It may not change the entire word, but it will change someone’s world. I once heard it said, “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.” It’s true. We can’t do it all, but what we can do is bless the people around us like crazy. You and I are blessed to be a blessing. What we have is to be shared—never hoarded for our selfish gain but poured out as an offering. What God has given you and me is hardly ever for our own benefit only. As we pursue our dreams, one of the sweetest outcomes is the impact it has on those around us.

Excerpted from the book She Dreams: Live the Life You Were Created For, Tiffany Bluhm, Ó 2019 by Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.