Thankful Thursday - Mentors

I have been so fortunate to have some amazing mentors in my life.  I'm thinking about two of them in particular today and I want to tell you why I am so thankful for both of these women.

LaVon Link:  LaVon is my mentor as well as one of my closest friends.  I first met LaVon when I was in my twenties.  She and her husband Larry came to First Baptist Church Arlington for Larry to be the Education Minister.  I became a part of LaVon's womens class on Sunday mornings.  These were some life altering years!   To sit under her teaching for several years was such an amazing experience.  LaVon made the scriptures come alive!  She was great with practical application.  She had this way of encouraging me and challenging me all at the same time.  After learning from LaVon, she began to ask me to teach for her when she was out of town and occasionaly when she was in town!  I was so nervous.  She is a tough act to follow!  She kept encouraging me to step out and use the gifts that God had given me.  I have enjoyed many years of teaching since that would not likely have happened without her prodding and encouraging.  For the last several years, we got to teach together in a womens class.  It was so much fun.  We have shared years of friendship and been by each others side in both times of great sorrow and great joy.  I can't imagine my life without my forever friend LaVon.

Ann Shaw:  When I moved to Ohio in 1993, I didn't expect to have another friend like that but the Lord knew that I needed someone who was further down the road in life to challenge, encourage and mentor me.  Ann Shaw stepped into those shoes.  I was in my mid 30's at this point - raising two elementary school age daughters and encountering many more questions than answers!  I met Ann at our church there in Columbus - Karl Road Baptist Church.  I got to know Ann because I had one of her boys in youth group.  From the start, Ann came along beside me and offered friendship and support.  We began meeting together once a week - sometimes for coffee and conversation and sometimes for Bible study.  Ann is wise, kind, caring and just intimidating enough to keep me on my toes!  When it came down to making a decision about applying for the Youth Ministry position at our church, it was Ann who encouraged me to apply for it.  Her belief in me gave me the courage to go for it!  She was faithful to meet with me, helping me every step along the way.  Those years of ministry were such a highlight for me.  The Lord grew me up in remarkable ways during those years and He used Ann in a mighty way to accomplish that.  I will be forever grateful for her presence in my life.

Both of these women continue to have a profound influence on my life even though I do not live in the same city as either one of them.  I can't really even express how deeply I love these women and how grateful I am to both of them for seeing something in me that I couldn't see and encouraging me to be the woman that the Lord wanted me to be.

I feel like it is crucial to always be looking for a mentor and to always be looking for someone younger that you can mentor.  We all have a lot to learn and a lot to share.  Who will you choose to walk along side?  Who will reach their potential because you invested in them?  Who do you need to initiate spending some time with - either to mentor or to be mentored by?  You will never regret stepping out and making an eternal investment in another.  

Men - this is for you too!  Young men desperately need older men who are walking with the Lord to come along side them.  There is such a gap in this area.  Will it cost you some time? YES!  Will it be somewhat inconvenient?  YES  Will it be worth it?  YES

Let's love one another is some practical ways that make a difference.  Mentor away . . .