What mentoring actually is and why it's different from everything else you've tried

"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." (2 Timothy 2:2)

You've tried it. The books, the Bible studies, the volunteering, and the women's retreats. And still you're standing in the same place. Aware there is more and afraid to try one more thing.

The pantry was a meaningful part of family life raising six kids and regularly hosting their friends. The kids knew it was stocked and they were welcome to get what they needed. One neighbor kid would come in, get a tangerine, and walk right back out. To this day it's an oddity about what it was like being a welcoming household.

That pantry is an icon of how I mentor. I don't start with a menu and recipes for a sit-down dinner. It's more like telling you what I have and letting you figure out what sounds good to you. On one call, each woman walks away with something different. If the Spirit inspires hunger, we trust him with provision.

My mentor was a national author and speaker who demonstrated what it was like to let yourself be known. It was less like sitting under a teacher and more like getting to know a distant relative for the first time. She wanted us to follow her as she followed Jesus.

The things I noted weren't things that indicated she had an opinion about my life. Sometimes I wrote something down wondering why she had said it. Months later when I moved into a new season, it finally hit me. When I asked if she had seen it coming, she smiled and said her desire was to encourage us to walk so intimately with Jesus that we would receive direction from him.

And that's what I want for you. No agenda. I'm not here to direct or assess. I want to share what Christ has done in me and let you take what fits in the season you're in. I receive, too.

It's not a Bible study or a book club or a coaching program. It's not a substitute for your church. It's just a year of monthly meetings as a group and monthly one-on-ones. The only agenda is to show up and be known.

That's the vision behind 4th Gen — named for the four generations in 2 Timothy 2:2. From Paul to Timothy to reliable people to those they'll teach. I am second generation, looking for the third, who will find the fourth. Not a meal served but a life opened.

This isn't for everyone. It's for the woman who has been pouring out for years and is quietly wondering when it's her turn. Who senses there's more but has run out of places to look. Who is ready to stop being useful for a minute and just be known.

If that's you, keep reading.

And when you're ready: [email protected]

You Were Made for This is coming soon. runwithhorses.org