I absolutely love this scene with young John Cusack in Say Anything. Unfortunately, Lloyd didn’t have a mentor to help him sort out his pretty shaky plan. “Hanging with Diane”, isn’t exactly what he needs to do with his life. What I would’ve done to have taken Diane and Lloyd by the hand and journey with them during this time in their life. There might not have been a really cool BOOMBOX scene in the movie if I had, but they would’ve realized their purpose wasn’t in finding each other.

I am in the precious point in ministry where I get to see students who were in middle school, all grown to their twenties and thinking about that person they want to spend the rest of their life with or what career path they should be on. The problem is, that sometimes they sound a little bit like Lloyd.  It’s in these moments that I wish I was in a comic book so I could “THWACK” them back to reality. Over the last year, I realized that as much as I would like to spare them the pain of inexperience, I can’t. God “THWACKED” me last week, as I talked with Him about some of the young and the restless that I’ve been journeying with of recent. My role in their life, as they’ve invited me in to mentor or “sister” them, is to first PRAY for them. My role is not to share my experiences first and foremost. My role is not to mock them as they take wrong steps. (Although believe me, this is very hard sometimes to not say, “ARE YOU STINKING KIDDING ME?!)

I want to talk to Jesus about them more than I talk about me to them.

So that is what I am committing to do specifically this week. PRAY first and pray with. I also want to call their attention to where I am seeing God at work in their lives, and direct them to cling to Him first and foremost. The frustrating part is when I see them derail and take things into their own hands at such a crucial time in their lives. However, that’s where it leads me back to PRAY. So just some reminders as you mentor those who come into your life. And if this doesn’t work…go get your boombox and stand outside their window. Just kidding. Didn’t know if you stayed to read the whole thing. Thanks 🙂