A Mentor
Mentor: a wise and trusted advisor (dictionary definition).
Mentor: someone to look up to for wisdom and Godly advice; a role model who is going through life with a God-fearing heart
(my definition).
One of my most cherished mentors is several years older than me. When I was little (eight or nine years old), I felt so cool having an older girl as a close friend. In church, she would come up to me and my other eight year old friends and give us hugs and ask how we were doing. Whenever she was around, I felt like one of her thirteen year old friends. She made me feel special, while showing sister-like love to me. She was like the sister I never had. She was about thirteen years old then, but she seemed so much more grown up than me!
I wanted to be just like her when I grew up, maybe because she was so nice to me and treated me as though I was important. Her Christian attitude brightened a room and made her stand out from other teen girls. Everybody loved her because of who she was in Christ. She participated in church activities that were not just youth oriented, and because of that, her servant’s heart drew adults and young people to her.
She gave me godly wisdom and encouraged me when I was down. She’d always remind me that I needed to rely on God for anything, no matter how big or small it was. She never implied that my little girl issues were unimportant. She’d also suggest Bible verses for me to read and memorize.
A couple years ago, she went away for college. I knew she would be back for holidays and spring break, but I soon realized church wasn’t the same without her greeting me and asking how my week went. I thought back to how I felt when I was a little girl, when she would approach me at church. I felt like somebody other than my family cared about what was going on in my life. That was when I realized that I had “grown up” in a way and I was now the age she was when I was little.
It was time for me to take up the baton of encouraging the girls coming up behind me. Remembering how my mentor interacted with other little girls made me want to become a big sister figure as well. I realized I wanted to encourage younger girls the same way my mentor encouraged me. In a world where modesty, purity, and Christian-like behavior are not valued, I wanted to be a cheerleader that encourages them to keep pursuing Christ as their ultimate mentor and strength.
Because of my mentor’s example, I am now intentional about investing in the lives of younger girls. When I see them, I try to go up to them, give them hugs, and ask how their week went and how they are doing. It’s such a blessing to me, personally, because I can relate to how they feel.
My mentor taught me by example how to be a Christian influence and to live above the world’s standards. She showed me how a Christian teenager is supposed to act: having a loving and servant’s heart. She made me realize that being a mentor is a serious yet amazing responsibility. I am so thankful that God led my friend and mentor, Stephanie, to reach out to a little girl with love and encouragement to walk by faith. Someday, I hope another grown up little girl will intentionally touch the lives of young girls coming behind her because I followed Stephanie’s example.
Written By: Keri Betters