I Love Being a Mentor

I love being a mentor

September 30, 2013

I have been blessed to be a mentor to many amazing young men!

In my lifetime, I have had some very good experiences of working with young men. Quite often, times would arise when I needed to hire someone. I always liked to give those opportunities to young boys just out of high school . It was usually their first major employment. Oft times they were shy, inexperienced, and yet wanted to do their very best. I enjoyed showing them the ropes…so to speak.

Some of these young men were very capable, having lived on a farm and had learned how to work. Others seemed to be totally without any experience and had never encountered any form of responsibility. Some had become involved in troublesome ways.

My first experience with them was met with varying degrees of optimism. It usually took much time and patience to get everyone lined out to the point that we were all pulling in the same direction. However, in time, most all of them became a good experience for me and for them.

One evening I was traveling home from a job in Idaho. During the trip, my thoughts had been on my friend and his family. I felt bad for them because of the problems they were having with their son. They were having a hard time dealing with his troublesome life. I had known this young man since he was a baby and I was feeling bad that he had chosen to take the low road.

During the trip, the thought came to me to check on them and see if he would like to come and work for me. I took my phone from my pocket and called them. My friend answered the phone. I asked him how things were going with his boy. I felt sorry for him as he informed me that his son had moved out with some friends. I then asked my friend if he thought his son would like to come and work with me. He said he wasn’t sure but he gave me his phone number. I extended an invitation to the young man to come and work with me. He seemed happy to find a job.

Time moved on and the attitude of that young man changed. He had always been a good boy..He just lost his way for a time. Good things happened and he became one of my most valued employees. It was such a pleasure to work with him.

Years later as I was visiting with his father, he expressed his gratitude for my part in his son’s success. I felt it a privilege to have had that opportunity. My friend told me that he would like to fill me in on the circumstances surrounding the event of my phone call that night.

He explained to me that that evening he and his wife had been so worried about their son’s activities that they had gone to their bedside and had enlisted their Lord into their peril. He said that as they finished their quest, the phone rang…it was me. After our conversation, he turned to his wife and said, “Our prayers have been answered.”

All of these boys have become men and they continue to bless my life every day. My wife has always been there to spoil them, always sending extra food to make sure they had plenty to eat.

These stories are true and I hope you find the joy in hearing them as I did in experiencing them.