Who I am in Christ | Encouragement for Today

Why do we seek out mentors? Or do we?

Yesterday our beautiful neighbor of almost 30 years was memorialized at her funeral service. I wrote a poem and I was able to share it with her before she passed away and then asked to share it at the funeral. What an honor this was to me. She was an incredible lady.

I was a young 26 year old mom of a six month old son when we moved to the neighborhood. And two years later I was a 28 year old mom of a 2.5 year old and newborn. And she was there, speaking life into my heart, I just didn’t realize how much until the last week.

We often times sat on her front porch rocking in her chairs, drinking iced tea and talking about all kinds of things. She shared about the Lord and what He had done in her life over the years.

We would watch the boys play or argue in the yard…depending on the day! Once they grew up and moved out of the house, I would find myself going over more often to sit and talk during the late afternoon and evening hours. She was never bitten by mosquitoes, and when I began to itch she knew it was time for us to call it a night.

And our little West Highland Terriers brought her such smiles. Our current little guy treated her with such tenderness. At her 95th birthday party, he sat on her lap with such care. I was so worried that the tenacious little guy would be crazy. He was not.

As I sit here typing I am looking out my front window at an empty porch. I am going to miss her…more than I realized.

I am afraid that these days people don’t “neighbor” like they use to. I am not sure if it is from being super busy or that social media has become our “front porches”. But whatever the reason, our elders have a lot of teach us.

I have always had mentors in my life. Oh my mom was there for me, but the Father placed the right people in my life at the right time. I knew I needed advice from those who had gone before me in my spiritual life, emotional life and mom life. And I was willing to listen, I knew I did not have the answers!

I can’t help but wonder if that is as prevalent as it once was?

The wisdom from our elders is irreplaceable. My prayer is that I can be an encouragement to someone as my sweet neighbor and others have been to me.

Pray and seek out someone….for it truly is “in giving we receive”. I promise that both parties will gain from these type of mentoring relationships….trust me, at my age I know I don’t have all the answers…..and I still have some of those mentors in my life and am very grateful.

IN CHRIST ALONE