Every woman needs a good mentor, preferably with gray hair. Gray hair proves that you’ve lived a long time, and that you have perspective on life, on what is important and what isn’t. I just love hanging out with old geezers, and I say that with all the love in my heart. Go find one at your church. You’ll see what I mean.
My mentor actually isn’t that old. I made her sound like she’s decrepit. She’s probably only 60. Which is young. (ahem)
That was me clearing my throat. Just in case she’s reading this.
All kidding aside, I have leaned on my mentor in times of distress in my life, where she gave me an outside perspective. If you have huge sorrow or some other problem that your husband is sick of hearing about, it really helps to have a woman friend who understands another human being who has hormones. Often my mentor will tell me something life-changing, and I’ll go run and tell my husband.
“That’s what I told you. How come you have to have a woman tell you for you to accept it?” my husband would say.
“Huh? I don’t remember you telling me that,” I would respond, to which he would insist, “I did.”
Basically, God wants to get through to you, and you sometimes have a mental block against male words that don’t seem to make sense because they’re so brief and said in an off-handed manner while you’re making dinner and unloading the dishwasher at the same time. But then your mentor says the same thing, and she settles in and says it in girl language, and then it suddenly all makes sense.
By the way, this does not replace your relationship with your husband as spiritual leader over you in any way. This is in addition to your husband, because Scripture commands us to have relationships with other believers in the body of Christ.
(Stay tuned for part 2…)
Good article Susan!
God has used mentors in my life in so many ways and areas over the years. Numerous “Aha” moments have come through mentoring and as you said, my hubby may have been trying to speak the same thing into my life but the male/female language barrier had kicked into gear.
I am now the mentor with gray in my hair though only 52, but in our church I am definitely one of the few older women. I pray and try to keep in focus that while i am their mentor , their husband is the shepherd they do need to be hearing and try to encourage that. I often will ask questions like “What does your husband think about this?” or “Have you talked to your husband about this?” to point them back to that relationship.
What I am still praying for and missing since our move to Arizona three years ago is having that mentor in my life. God has blessed me with a couple friends in the same stage of life as me but would love the wisdom of somebody further along.
I recently gave your website and blog to 3 home school moms at my church when I heard them talking of preparing a medieval feast so your work is spreading to Arizona!
Blessings on you and all you do!
Deb
Oh my gosh, Debbie! I forgot that YOU were my mentor many, many years ago, before I met my current mentor. Remember I went up to you and said, “Will you be my mentor?” You said you would ask your husband first. LOL But you said yes. So much has happened since then, that I feel that it was a lifetime ago!
There are times I really wish I had an older woman to talk to! I am thankful for my mom though. Can my mom be my mentor? 🙂
Of course she can! LOL