Hatha

Atlas Mentor - 1 Year Later

I can’t believe that over a year has passed since I started mentoring! If you can recall, a year ago I wrote an article for ATLAS about my reluctance to become a mentor, how I was NOT qualified, and other concerns I had.  My first and biggest concern was my inability to mentor someone.  I have/had no formal training. I kept thinking that I was not qualified to be in this person’s life in any way—let alone as a mentor.  Here’s my follow-up.

What’s happened since then?  Well, I am still NOT qualified.  It’s a good thing that God doesn’t require us to be qualified to be a friend.  While I don’t have the answers my mentoree sometimes wants, what I do have are two good ears to listen, two arms to console with, a body that will go to her when I am needed, a mind to know when to be quiet and when to talk.  We have developed a relationship over this year that she is comfortable with and what a blessing to watch her grow!  The woman I met a year ago has broken out of her shell a little bit.  When we first met, she was a reserved, tough, a “don’t let anything bother you on the outside” type lady. Today she will laugh, smile, even cry if she needs to cry.  She considers me a friend not a mentor.

My mentoree has made strides in other ways as well.  She has made some progress with her financial situation.  I didn’t have a lot to do with that either.  I listened and offered an opinion, but other than that, she has figured it out.  Does she still struggle?  Of course. . . but then, sometimes I do too.

Life isn’t easy.  But being a mentor isn’t about fixing someone or turning them into you.  It took me a bit to stop wanting to fix my mentoree.  That is not what I was there for.  I was called to walk with her. Sometimes friends tell us things we don’t want to hear, but they say it because they care.  Being a mentor is being a friend.

Would I mentor again?  Yes.  Definitely.  Did I plan on being blessed by this experience?  No.  Was I?  Most definitely.  How can that be anything but God?