Being a mentor comes with a lot of responsibility or so I have told myself over the years.
I used to think in order to mentor and lead well, I had to have my act together and only needed to share what I was good at or what had worked well in my life.
If I am honest, much of the responsibility and pressure I have felt has been self inflicted and unrealistic.
When I’ve been authentic with my struggles especially the pain in my life, that’s where true connections have taken place and I’ve been able to point others to Jesus.
I remember being a mentor to a group of young moms and was torn about sharing a painful life experience. I found myself praying about what to do and asked God for guidance. I found comfort in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God”
I chose to share my journey with those young moms and it created a bond that holds to this day.
They have now gone on to share their pain and struggles to help others and I am thankful that we chose to be authentic with each other.
When our pain becomes the very way in which we can help others endure the same and see the hope found in Christ, that is redemptive suffering.
It’s hard, but it is also beautiful.
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