Like rain to a dry and weary land, so is a mentoring relationship to the life of any Christian woman who is blessed enough to have one. The book of Titus in the Bible actually directs "older" women to mentor younger women. Older not necessarily meaning chronologically older, but I believe meaning those who have matured to some
extent in Christ and have learned some biblical principles they can share with other women.
When I came to faith in Christ as my Savior 40 years ago, there were women like my grandmother, some aunts, Sunday school teachers, and women in leadership in the church like Joan who was the Sunday School Superintendent when I was a Sunday School teacher. These "watered" my dry land. There were also Christian women who I didn't know personally but who I came to know through reading their books; women like Elizabeth Elliot, Anne Graham Lotz, Stormie Omartian, Jill Briscoe, Joyce Meyer, Beth Moore,Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and many more. I "heard" their voices and learned from them as those whom I had observed and trusted as mentors. I remember learning how to start using my Bible for a regular time of reading and studying and was encouraged by these women to pray daily. I learned the importance of confession of my sin to Christ and receiving his forgiveness so that my heart was not burdened down with guilt and shame. I had to learn to love my husband and children God's way and not try to "mold" them into what I wanted them to become to please me.I had to learn about being in relationship with God, not just "knowing" about Him in my head, but instead learning to talk to him through my day as I would a close family member. I had to be taught that God didn't want my performance, He wanted my heart to seek his presence and to desire Him above other things. I had to learn that I was not to be led by my emotions, but by the truth of God's word which would never fail me. I learned not to remain in "stinkin thinkin" but look for the the lies the enemy strategically tries to sow into my heart. I had to come to understand that God's love for me was irrevocable because He is love and could not deny his own character. I had to learn to be more like Mary and less of a Martha (which was more my natural tendency). I was mentored to understand that God will use the pain and trials of my life to teach me more about His great love for me and to bring beauty from the ashes I was taught by dear sisters in the faith that I must persevere in prayer and not get weary in well doing because there would come a harvest from those prayers if I had even faith the size of a mustard seed. I grew to understand that tithing was a great spiritual opportunity for me to sow into God's kingdom and that God, not my job, is my provision. I came to understand that I am a beloved daughter of my Father, God and that I can depend on Him for my needs to be taken care of and that He will comfort me when I face hurt or loss or trials of any kind. I have been encouraged by my mentors to be obedient to God's leading in my life, even when I don't understand it or feel it doesn't make complete sense to me. I have been fortified and blessed by the teaching of mentors in my life and I continue to receive mentoring.
Now I find myself also in a season of mentoring other women and find such joy in coming full circle. Being a mentor both blesses and challenges me. I need to be willing to share what I have learned and stay close to the Lord myself so that I will be a mentor with solid integrity and also show God's love to them. At the same time, I need to consistently be vigilant in prayer for these dear sisters being willing to "go to battle in prayer" for them. It is a weighty calling that God gives us as "older" women to mentor the "younger". It is more about depending upon God and allowing him to work through us as jars of clay and showing love to our sisters and offering support and encouragement and spending time with them rather than just developing a formal "teacher-student" realtionship. It is about being available to share in their pain and frustrations as well as their joys and successes. It is about sacrificing time and energy for a sister. It is about being humble, not proud. It is about being a consistent, though not perfect example. Mentoring is about choosing Life. Mentoring is about choosing fellowship and vulnerability. Mentoring is choosing joy and satisfaction in leaving a legacy in the lives of those we have mentored and seeing the circle of life continue on after us. I am thankful and owe a debt of gratitude for all those who chose to be a mentor (past and present) and chose to spend time, energy, prayer, sacrifice, love, forgiveness, patience, and so much more on me. I believe one of my greatest joys in this season of life will be watching those I have invested in as a mentor turn around and mentor some other sister! It' will be like watching rain fall on a dry and weary land!
