I am cooking up a lot of projects behind the scenes! One of them is the SheGrows Conference.
The purpose of the SheGrows conference is to inspire women across generations to enter into mentoring relationships and invest in the next generation. I’m joined on the platform by the conference’s visionary, author and speaker, Laurie Polich Short, and speaker and advocate, Brooklyn Lindsey. This is a conference series that is coming to city near you! We are heading to St. Louis this weekend, and appreciate your prayers. In the meantime, please visit the SheGrows Conference website to see how we can be of service to your church or community.
Today, I’m sharing my first piece “Wisdom for Finding a Mentor” from Propel Sophia.
For me, mentoring started when I walked out the gate of my college campus and knocked on her door. That’s when Mary welcomed me into her heart and her home. She taught me how to love Jesus, study his Word, and walk in the Way. Then she prepared me to do the same for others. As a small group leader, Marine Corps officer, seminary lecturer, consultant, and parent, I have entered into many mentoring relationships over the years. I have been blessed by those who committed to mentoring me, and have, in turn, mentored others at various stages of their life or leadership journey. As someone who has written and coached extensively on mentoring, the question I’m most often asked is, “How do I find a mentor?”
This question meets a basic need and that’s why we need to ask. We all need companionship and wise spiritual counsel on this journey called life. From the beginning, God said it was not good for humans to be alone. The presence of mentors in our lives meets critical emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. The primary way we connect with mentors is by asking—either we ask someone to mentor us or they ask to become our mentor.
Asking may be difficult, but it is part of God’s pattern for us. When the disciples wanted to know how to pray, they asked Jesus (Luke 11:1). Jesus taught and modeled for his disciples the importance of asking the Father to meet our needs.
Asking can be complicated, too: When James was writing a letter to the early Christians, he warned them that sometimes they don’t get what they ask for because they ask with the wrong motives (James 4:3).
A SISTA'S JOURNEY 