The beauty of mentoring

I just finished reading the book, Tuesdays with Morrie. It was a really good read. Maybe you've heard about it or saw the TV movie. It's the true story about a guy named Mitch Albom, who rediscovers his old college professor in the last months of the older man's life. They begin spending every Tuesday together writing one "final thesis", truths the wise professor has learned in life and as he prepares for death. It is a wonderful story of the beauty of mentoring/teaching and the impact that type of relationship can have in someone's life.

Which brings me to the question, do you have a mentor in your life, someone like Morrie? Of my many prayer requests, that is one I am still waiting for an answer. I have been blessed with many wonderful Christian friends who encourage me and inspire me on a daily basis, but I long for that older, wiser woman who, like Morrie, can teach me things because they've already walked down that road and can offer sound, godly advice as I make my way down it (Before you say anything, I know -- mentors don't ALWAYS have to be older). The problem is I don't always have that "wiling, teachable" spirit that is needed to listen, to accept, and to try. It's that part of my pride God is still trying to get me to lay down. Reading this book has reminded me of the beautiful benefits that type of one-on-one relationship with another woman can have and has caused me to persist in prayer for that in my life. I pray that you have that in your life, and if you don't, that you will make it a priority of prayer!

Although many people are put off by the idea of mentoring or being mentored, we can't deny that this type of relationship is threaded and rooted in the pages of the Bible. For example, Moses had his father-in-law, Jethro; Joshua had Moses; the disciples had Jesus; and Timothy had Paul. All of these mentors drastically influenced and shaped the lives of those they taught. In turn, these students grew from the wisdom that was poured into them and impacted their worlds greatly. Just think how differently the pages of the Bible would have read if these mentoring relationships never existed. And these relationships were not just casual acquaintances, but rather they were deep, meaningful, and close. In the book Morrie told Mitch that if he could have another son, he would have liked it to be him. Paul felt the same way about Timothy when he referred to Timothy as "my true son in the faith" (1 Tim. 1:2) and as his "dear son" (2 Tim. 1:2). We are blessed with many special relationships in our lives, but a mentoring one is truly unique.

I doubt we can ever underestimate the treasure of a mentor. Mitch Albom knew the blessing of that gift. He summarized it beautifully on the last page of his book. I'll leave you with his well-written words:

"Have you ever really had a teacher? One who saw you as a raw but precious thing, a jewel that, with wisdom, could be polished to a proud shine? If you are lucky enough to find your way to such teachers, you will always find your way back.

The last class of my old professor's life took place, once a week, in his home, by a window in his study where he could watch a small hibiscus plant shed its pink flowers. The class met on Tuesdays. No books were required. The subject was life. It was taught from experience. The teaching goes on."