By Trudy Loots

 

I have to be honest with you, mentoring isn’t something that I grew up being involved with. I was never in the Big Sister program and I never talked with women in my church outside the Sunday school room.

It wasn’t until I turned 21 and discovered a single ladies’ small group leader named Mary that I began to understand how mentoring could really impact me. Mary was 10 years older than me and had gone though a lot of spiritual warfare, broken hearts and the occasional “Ah Ha” moments with God that I hadn’t. But it wasn’t her background that got through to me. It was her humility and willingness to meet me for coffee or Chinese spring rolls just to chat.

It was her ability to relate the God from the Bible to modern day life; the things that I was actually going through. In one moment she would challenge me to seek God about my worries and in the next moment she would tell me about the fears she was facing or had once faced. I had finally found a Godly-woman that I could look up to and it ignited my faith. To this day I still talk to Mary and have seen her faith bring her into being a wife and now even a mother-to-be.  And she was there to celebrate my wedding with me!

So here’s the question: who could you be a Mary to?

I firmly believe that every woman reading this blog has a story, has a past, has a testimony that a younger woman needs to hear.

Paul wrote in Titus 2:3-5 “Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good.  These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the Word of God.”

The word “mentor” can make us feel overwhelmed and focus on other words like “commitment”, “time-consuming”, “vulnerability”, “shame” and “regrets”.  Personally, when I first set out to be a mentor I was scared that it would become another task to do. That there was no way in the middle of my busy schedule that I could pour into another woman’s life. My cup was already emptying out quick enough!!!

But then I met my first mentee. I realized that all she really needed was someone outside of her family to just listen to her. If I sent her a text every so often, that made her day. She just needed to hear me talk about how when I was around her age I struggled with some of the same issues but God brought me through them.

As time goes on, I have realized how much our conversations fill me with joy and purpose. I look forward to seeing her move into high school, start dating and growing in her faith. As a mentor, I get to experience Romans 1:12.

“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours”.

Ask God to show you someone you can invest in.  If you are in need of a mentor, don't be shy about praying for the right person.  Grace Family Church Beautiful Ministry has several opportunities to get you connected with women who have gone before you and can share their experience and encouragement.