The Messy Blessing of Mentees -By Emma
I live in a farming community. Just like most farming communities, the community I live in is very tight-knit.
As farmers, we are able to connect with each other differently and on a deeper level than I’ve seen in most communities. Maybe it’s because we all face the same struggles—be it drought, flood, a drop in the crop price, an epidemic of harmful insects.
We do life together, which means that we are familiar and see each other often.
To some of the young farmer’s daughters in my area, my two sisters and I are heroes. The three of us are some of the few older girls in our community. In addition, we are thought to be the perfect, model Christian girls. (Which is by NO means true! We are far from perfect.)
Of course, it’s flattering to have a group of younger girls looking up to us, but it’s also a gigantic responsibility and has been the topic of countless family ‘meetings’.
We’ve found that mentoring these girls is about patience. It's about sharing Christ’s light and being an example of that light, but most importantly, it’s about love. As Colossians 3:14 NIV says, “And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Sometimes, it’s almost easy to be an example of light to the girls. For example, after hearing an encouraging sermon at church, I’ll walk out feeling good. Full of life, full of light, full of love. In fact, that love comes easy; it overflows. It’s not difficult to chat with the girls and discuss their Sunday School lessons with them.
But other times, it’s not so easy.
My sisters and I help our mentor, a farmer’s wife, teach horse riding lessons every Thursday. Most of the girls attend riding lessons there. After hurrying around tacking up horses, giving this girl a lesson and asking that kid for the thousandth time to stop running, the overflowing love doesn’t come easy.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite! I’m hot, dusty, exhausted and far from feeling patient and light-filled. But the thing is, that’s when I’m actually being a good mentor. It’s in these moments that the girls are watching me the closest. This is when authentic discipleship happens.
I’m grateful for the many opportunities we have to spend time with the girls because of how often we see them, because the very meaning of discipleship is to do life with them. To walk beside them, encouraging them, sharing Bible verses and ultimately pointing them to Christ.
But a warning: stay genuine. I sometimes find myself trying to put on the show of a perfect person in my frazzled attempt to be an example of Christ. That is not discipleship because that is not a true example.
Instead of trying to shine a light like a flashlight on a full moon night, a light that is fake even though there is plenty of moonlight to go around, shine a light like a mirror, reflecting God’s light, because nothing else will satisfy.
Don’t exhaust yourself by making light; allow yourself to be a vessel of God’s light.
Finally, remember that you are, through God’s grace and loving kindness, enough. He has entrusted you with your mentees because he trusts you! That is both a responsibility and a blessing.
I’m Emma, a child of God, writer, farm girl, music lover and horse rider. My time is divided between my horse, schoolwork, playing the piano, writing, and spending time in my flower garden. I have a newly started blog called Serendipity (https://blogforhisglory.wixsite.com/serendipity). The meaning of the name is ‘to find beauty unexpectedly’, which is one of my favourite pastimes.
