In my sanest moments I know I need help.
Ergo: recruit three mentors.
Mentor #1: Wayne Thyren (TreeHouse Youth Outeach). How he mentors me: Spiritual Director. I have asked him to tell me the naked truth about myself. He has obliged for the past 15 years.
Mentor #2: David Clark (pictured right), Bethel University. How he mentors me: Theology, philosophy. He helps me interpret the big boys (Kant, Hume, Plato. . . it's a long list) and TRANSLATE for students and faculty.Without mentors I tend to, well, drift.
Who are your mentors? How do they help? What mentor is missing for you right now?
Next week: My new, exciting mentor #3.
4 comments:
Hi Rick,
My mentor currently is a fabulous guy, Dick Young. He's ten years older than me and has far more than a decade of wisdom to share. We meet once a week or so for about 90 minutes and our agenda is always open, and always full. No topic is out of bounds.
More often than not we laugh a lot (life's games and our own foibles). He has been leading me in Centering Prayer, a practice he's benefited from for years and years. I'm still a rookie, but when I find those moments of sharing the Lord's presence, with no motive other than to sit quietly with Him, it's...(no superlatives can describe the connection!).
Richest blessings bro,
John
I want mentors in all arenas...
physical, spiritual, emotional, relational, professional.
Without this, I have little chance of developing on a holistic level and, in turn, can be limited in my success.
For instance, I had professional mentors and biblical mentors, but nobody that helped me in the emotional or relational areas.
These are two areas of weakness that can undercut even the best professional efforts and biblical scholarship.
My ideal scenario would have people in all categories in my life.
Thanks, Rick, for the challenge.
Could you share how you actually got into these relationships? It seems as though the hardest thing is actually finding a mentor that actually is able to invest in you.
To John: Wow, great mentor r/ship with Mr. Young! I love the idea of following the path of those who have gone where we probably would not go (left to ourselves).
To Anonymous: I hear your point about emotional/relational development. Perhaps you can intentionally seek out a mentor in this area, or find it in a community of friends who model it with each other (a small group in a church?).
To Jason: Hey friend, three quick ideas: 1) limit the scope. Ask someone to work with you who's advanced in one or two areas where you need help. 2) limit the time. Sign up for 6-12 months (or whatever). 3) initiate: it's up to you to set it up and follow through on setting appointments.
Post a Comment