Mentor Monday

Have you read it? Titus 2:3-5 says "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored."

I'm part of a Monday night Bible study and I encouraged the women a few weeks ago that we should all have a Paul, a Barnabus and a Timothy in our lives. A Paul is a mentor or someone who's one step ahead of you either spiritually or in stage of life (older kids, etc.). Barnabus means "son of encouragement" so of course this friend is just an encourager. Someone that you're doing life with and they're just a good friend. A Timothy is someone younger in the faith or a step behind you in life stage (they are younger than you). As I put out this challenge, I was just reminded of the goodness of God and how God has given me so many women in each of these categories. Some of these women come and go for various reasons and others I feel like will forever be part of my life.

And so, I thought I'd dedicate a couple of Mondays to those mentor women and while I do this, I'd explain why they're so important.

So today's Mentor Monday is Kathy Klassen who is my mother's age (still very young), but is dancing with Jesus today in heaven. Mrs. Klassen went to our church and she has a daughter the same age as me. Mrs. Klassen was our Pioneer Girls leader on Wednesday nights and I remember her helping in VBS as well. We went to a smaller church (100-200 people) and there were several families that did a lot together. The Klassens being one of those families. I remember Mrs. Klassen pouring into my life at an early age. She loved Jesus and she loved people...what more could you ask for? As I was reorganizing some things tonight, I found a graduation gift that she had given me. It's a frame with a mirror behind it (hard to explain), but it's pretty and I think of her whenever I see it. As I moved it on the dresser today, I thought about all the ways she's impacted my life. She may have been one of the reasons I ever was interested in Germany....her house always reflected Germany and her mother was "Oma" (grandma in German) to so many of us. I'm so thankful that she was part of my life.

Our "Pauls" come in so many different ways...mothers, friends, aunts, grandmothers, bosses, etc. Younger women have so much to learn from older women. And older women need to be willing to pour into the younger women. Listen, God didn't have it wrong when He inspired Paul's thoughts to put Titus 2 into place. Be sure that you're doing your part. Do you have a Paul, a Barnabus and a Timothy in your life? If not, start praying for God to put them in your path and then be ready, He answers prayer!