Mentoring

I’m partnered with a fifth grade girl at church. We meet every other week to do fun stuff together at the church and to get to know each other. It is an intentional friendship that I am enjoying with a person I value.

The purpose of the program is to give adults and children who are not from the same family a chance to form relationships. I already had a relationship with this girl because I taught her Sunday School class for a year, so it is fun to extend that into other activities.

Most of the pairs find a craft or interest or hobby they can pursue together for an hour at the church. We tried knitting the first time we met. We made greeting cards last night. I’m out of ‘Thank You’ notes and really didn’t want to buy more. She was game to try something new.

I brought card stock paper, tempera paint, potatoes and paring knives, and glue. We did potato printing and I think it turned out pretty nice! Maybe I will try Christmas cards next---if I get around to sending them this year. Let’s see… How many years has it been?

This young girl is someone I have admired throughout her growing up. She has a tender heart and brutal honesty.

One Sunday, back when she was in second grade, the whole class was a bit wiggly and unsettled. It was advent and the lesson was on the angel’s appearance to Mary. I came to the part of Mary’s response and began to read the verses directly from my Bible instead of paraphrasing them. My friend stopped me. She said, “I know this part!” so I told her to go ahead. She recited the entire magnificat, and as she spoke the class became silent. It was a holy moment.

On our first evening meeting together as partners I was feeling pretty special about her having chosen me to be her partner. This is where the brutal honesty comes in. As we sat down together she said to me, “My first choice for a partner was ______________, but everyone wants her and she decided to take a break this year. Then my second and third choices couldn’t do it either, so my mom and I made a list of 20 people from church that would be good partners.” I didn’t have the nerve to ask how far down the list I was.

Humility is a good thing, right?

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