Mentoring

Today's a special day to me.  It marks the 3 year anniversary of the first time my mentor and I got together for mentoring.  I got to get together with her for mentoring this week.  I also got to get together and catch up with an incredible young woman I used to mentor and I've had the privilege of watching grow in her faith over the years.  She's currently going to school to be a youth leader.  I'm pretty proud of her.

The mentoring relationships I've been in- whether as the mentor or mentee- have brought me some of the greatest joy.  There have been incredible moments.  There have been tough moments.  There have been a ton of moments that fall somewhere in between.  All of them have helped me to grow.  They've taught me to love better.  They've been safe places for me to take risks and grow- more so on the mentee side with this one.  I've been a part of formal mentoring relationships where we've committed to a mentoring relationship and I've been a part of many more informal mentoring relationships.

There's something highly beneficial about close, cross generational relationships.  Both people in the relationship seem to benefit from it.  It's a great way to develop faith as older generations pass on what they've already learned and younger generations are eager to learn from the older generations.  It can mean the world to someone to know that someone else is willing to invest in their life and it is highly rewarding to watch someone grow as a result of that investment.  

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) One of the best investments we can make in this life is an investment in the life and faith of a brother or sister in Christ!  Mentoring is a great way to store our treasures in Heaven!

Me and my mentor.  I love her and am super grateful for her and the way she's invested in my life over the last 3 years!