During this revolutionary time of my life, I was so eager to share the fact that not just being Sons was important, not just being great orators or whatever else we felt our 'calling' was, but that being mentor-fathers to other men and young men and our children was essential, with everyone I thought would listen. Well, I soon found out not everyone shared the same vision as I. This concept was not that popular then, and many times I was shrugged off as the extremist. ( Sometimes a little harsher than that!)
My heart burned with the idea that surely we are NOT to be 'working' just for our own legacy, but the legacy of the next generation, for our children and childrens children.
Yes, it would mean I may have to sacrifice my own importance and self-centered concepts of what is important to me. Yes, it may mean that I would have to have a major paradigm shift with regards to my personal value system and what my priorities would be. Few understood my passion for this ideal. I had caught a glimpse of the fact that with the investment of mentor-fathers another generation in our land in the world, in the church could be influenced to be strong, committed with a moral sense of destiny for their lives.
Like myself when I was growing up, I saw many children and young people sidelined in the priorities of life. "Children should be seen and not heard", was the quote I had often heard. "We don't understand these teen agers, hope to God they grow up soon and get out of the house" was another. What a missed opportunity!
My greates desire was to see the men in my circle of influence so impacted and shifted in paradigm that their children and their childrens children would carry the impact of it. I desired to see them grow up with me just to see the outcome.
But I did not even know where to start!
I just did the best I could with the wisdom and the knowledge I had at that time while searching and studying all I could lay my hands on to increase this skill.
Except for the man who was my mentor-father, there not many who knew how or even wanted the responsibility of mentoring me let alone others.
Mentoring takes time, commitment, sacrifice, vision, and love.
Mentoring is not something you can hasten through in a 10 week program.
Mentoring means you lay aside your agendas and the mentee becomes the agenda.
Mentoring means you have and work toward a long term vison and objective, very long.
Mentoring means you give up ambitions of popularity and 'greatness.
Mentoring means you will have to encourage (give courage), confront (challenge) and pay the price for it.
Mentoring is rewarding, but an obscure reward.
Devote yourself today to becoming a mentor-father by studying what it means and begin, even though you may feel inadequate, begin, someone one day will be thankful you did.
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