Mentoring, serendipitous friendships, teachable moments
What an incredible day! My unrelenting grin effuses my jubilation and great satisfaction.
Meet Julie, my new friend. She is beautiful, energetic, intelligent, winsome, and very, very open.
She had responded to my ad for an infant christening gown, which I told her needed some adjustment. It was apparently made for a preemie, or perhaps a doll, and had a neck circumference of 9 inches. The sleeves were 6 inches around. A typical infant measures 11 inches and about 6 inches respectively.
Those things didn’t matter to Julie, who declared she wasn’t married and didn’t have children yet. She also informed me in our online conversations that she didn’t know how to sew and would love to learn.
I suggested we make it a joint project, and she could come over to learn and give input as I did the work. She was ecstatic and we agreed to meet.
Sharing my ideas for expanding the neckline and sleeves, I let Julie choose the lace and style designs. With ongoing commentary about my steps, I engaged her hands in a good share of the tasks. Even with trepidation, she came through like a champion and learned so much!
During our whole afternoon together, we shared many things in addition to machine and hand sewing techniques and tips. My new friend readily confessed that she had never even done any hand-sewing, and that she would love to learn how to cook and understand personal budgeting. We talked about family, spiritual foundations, schooling and careers, and our goals and passions. Julie shared that she is newly transplanted from Orange County, California to Phoenix, Arizona. In 12 months, she has not really made any friends, even though she has often initiated activities. Most of her co-workers are already married and have interests and commitments in other directions.
The process of finding meaningful relationships has been difficult and Julie anguishes over being single in a new, large city. During the Covid-19 quarantine and being out of work, she has experienced a greater degree of isolation and discouragement.
I have been dreaming about and shaping in my head a life skills curriculum for teens and young adults for several years. Although I am very confident in the materials I am creating, and I have a strong hypothesis that young people need these skills, I have not been sure of the best way to bridge the age gap for delivering the information.
Upon recounting my journey and vision, this young lady amazed me! In short, Julie presented herself as a willing and eager candidate for testing out my ideas. She remarked that her friends would also love personal mentorship in adulting and life skills.
We are both beyond thrilled that God has orchestrated this “mother-daughter” sort of relationship. Julie’s vulnerability to an internet stranger prompted me to reach out and embrace her as a God-appointed opportunity for growth and fulfillment on both sides.
Now I need to get busy and put my ideas into lesson modules so that Julie can test them out.
In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.
Titus 2:4-5
Have you had a person in your life who joined you in a Mentor/Mentee relationship? How did that impact your life?
Designed to Draw Near 
Oh wow! Its awesome to see how you turned an opportunity to sell an item into a chance to befriend and mentor a young woman. I feel almost like I had a part since we discussed that gown over our zoom meeting. God is using you, girl.
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Hi, Jan. You can certainly take credit for having a part in that sweet adventure! I love that we talked about the dress ahead of time, and those thoughts and ideas were part of my repertoire when I talked to Julie. Thanks so much foryour support in many ways!
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