Day Seventy-Eight

BE A MENTOR

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

—1 CORINTHIANS 11:1 NIV

A few years ago, I was hanging with two of the girls from my church small group, talking about college and dudes and the Lent season and gal stuff. We were discussing our plans for small group that night, and I mentioned, in passing, that the girls should bring their journals. To my utter shock, neither of them had a journal. It took me a minute to remember that they were not that much older than I was when I began journaling.

So that night, when the girls arrived and we finished eating our taco soup, I pulled the huge, clear plastic tub from the hallway closet and showed them my ever-growing collection of journals.

Every notebook I have written in, scribbled on, and cried over for the last twenty years is stored in this container. I pulled out specific ones and told the girls about my memories from that season of life. How the one with the photograph of a little boy and girl in black and white was from my freshman year of college, and I accidentally left it at church one day and felt panicked because I wrote about my crush in there. How the one with the hand-drawn armor of God went along on the first mission trip I led. And I showed them the first one, with the white and gold stars, not even halfway full, but so meaningful.

It was a sweet experience for them to see some of my history and for me to look back through some of those formative seasons of my life.

The Bible challenges men and women to lead by example and also to teach and pour into those younger than they are, a few steps behind.

The Bible challenges men and women to lead by example and also to teach and pour into those younger than they are, a few steps behind. Mentoring high school and college students has brought me so much joy. It is life-giving to take what the Lord’s taught you and pass it down to those who are right behind you in their walk of life.

A common roadblock for people is that they feel unqualified. Who am I to mentor someone? If you’re walking with Jesus, you have wisdom to pass down to those who haven’t been walking with Him for as long as you have.

Brave people don’t just pour into their own hopes and dreams. They pour their wisdom and time and love into others.

BE BRAVE: Think of someone younger than you whom you could take to coffee this week. Give him or her a call and make time to hang out!