A Grown Up

Hey There! Bet you knew our visit yesterday about positive words didn't just magically appear out of nowhere. Didn't you? You are right. While at lunch with friends the other day, something a friend shared reached out, grabbed me, and won't let me go. I am so thankful for what my friend shared.

We were visiting along when my friend shared about a woman who had been a mentor to her through the years. An older woman in the church held a weekly Bible study for years. During the many years she led the women of the church this dear woman never once spoke a discouraging word to the women under her influence. My friend shared how, as a younger woman, she had once shared a lesson that contained examples from her personal life. The examples contained perhaps a bit too much information. Others told my friend her examples fell in the TMI category but not her mentor. Her beloved mentor said "Hot off the griddle!" and finished off the encouragement with something along the lines of hot off the griddle being the best way.

As my friend shared more examples of the way her dearly beloved Bible study leader had allowed her to discover truth for herself instead of confronting her with it, I couldn't help but wish that I knew how to live love like this myself. A burning desire was ignited in my heart. I want to love like that! I don't want to only teach. There's more! I want to lead, to guide, to be strong enough to allow others to discover truth for themselves. I want to grow up and be the adult. Only a true grown up is mature enough to allow others to be wrong while they are learning to live true. Only an adult in heart and mind understands that just as a tiny child weaves, wobbles, and falls down while learning to walk, people don't live life perfectly from the start either. We are always growing, always learning, always in the process of discovering truth. That's what I want to be. I want to be mature in mind and heart.

Gratefulness for the real life example of Godly maturity being lived out loud has been saturating my being since that luncheon several days ago. You see, I have been studying to become a certified Thomas Jefferson style educator. This particular method of education relies on mentoring. The more I read the books on mentoring the less qualified I have felt. They puzzled me. Oh, not because the books weren't clearly written, they were. The puzzlement came about because I am a visual learner. I learn best by a combination of observation and reading. I have the books but lacked an example to observe. My friend provided such an example when she so vividly described her Bible study leader of many years. Aha! That is what the certification course has been describing! And now I know for certain that is what I long to become, an in the flesh example of mature love. Thank you, God for loving leaders grown up enough to let us discover truth for ourselves.

It is time for lunch now. Would you like to stay? Oh, you can't. I understand. Before you go, I want to thank you for stopping by. Thank you for being like my friend's Bible study leader and allowing me the opportunity to make mistakes as I learn the art of communicating with each of you online. Thank you. See you later!



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