Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
You Can Mentor is a network that equips and encourages mentors and mentoring leaders through resources and relationships to love God, love others, and make disciples in their own community. We want to see Christian mentors thrive.
We want to hear from you! Send any mentoring questions to hello@youcanmentor.com, and we'll answer them on our podcast. We want to help you become the best possible mentor you can be. Also, if you are a mentoring organization, church, or non-profit, connect with us to join our mentoring network or to be spotlighted on our show.
Please find out more at www.youcanmentor.com or find us on social media. You will find more resources on our website to help equip and encourage mentors. We have downloadable resources, cohort opportunities, and an opportunity to build relationships with other Christian mentoring leaders.
Welcome to the You Can Mentor podcast. We help Christian mentoring leaders thrive. Share our podcast with your team. Sign up for our monthly learning lab cohorts for mentoring leaders and come to the National Christian Mentoring Gathering. Help us serve more mentors by giving us a 5 star rating where you listen to your podcasts.
Speaker 1:Find out more by following us on social media or going to our website at youcanmentor.com. You can mentor. Alright. Today, let's talk about the book Mephibosheth. I'm here with the author, John Barnard.
Speaker 1:John, tell us about Mephib.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, Zach. Interestingly enough, if I can just kinda paint the middle image for you. I wrote this book because I wanted to braid, if you will, 3 really important stories. First of all, I'm no more excited than, than really anything than I am about second Samuel chapter 9. It's the story of David and how he invested in to Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth.
Speaker 2:It it's just an incredible passage, and I love when I meet someone and and no one has heard of that story, and I and I point them to that. So I I led with that. I really just wanted to be able to talk about and teach on that incredible chapter. But also what I wanted to do is talk about the people in my life who were able to be a David to me when I was a Mephibosheth. They invested in me.
Speaker 2:And, really, the middle man story, the skateboarding ministry, that I now get to head up is because some people were a David to me, and now I'm able to be a David to others as well. But I'd say the third strand of that is for our teachers, our parents, our mentors, and really anybody who invests in others to have the, to be given some practical theology in a way that they can grab on to some of these lessons that I get to talk about and teach on, of just having a a head and a heart stance and a way to invest in others that will really lead them to the Lord.
Speaker 1:Love it. You can pick up Mephibosheth, The Search for Identity, Purpose, and Community on our website, you can mentor.com or on Amazon. Reach out to John at john@youcanmentor.com.
Speaker 2:You can mentor audience. Welcome. I'm John. Here's Zach. I'm so excited that we're in 2 forms now.
Speaker 2:Not only are you listening to us if you're on your favorite streaming device, maybe a handheld or or some headphones, but also, look at that. We're right here. You can see us if you're on the YouTube. So we've got lots to cover today. We've got a really exciting thing.
Speaker 2:First of all, let me let me power down my phone because, Zach, you know what I was taking a look at. Check this out, man. The new You Can Mentor website. It's incredible. It's got resources.
Speaker 2:I just love kind of the aesthetic of it. It's easy to move and to and to navigate and see all these incredible images. Right now, by the way, I'm on the 2025 National Christian Mentoring Gathering. It's happening April 16th through 18th, also in the year of our lord 2025. And guess what?
Speaker 2:It's in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It's beautiful there. Yeah. And you're inviting nay, we're inviting anybody who wants to come if they're if they're heading up a, a mentoring organization or if they're a worker or if they're a volunteer. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I'm pleased to sponge about this thing, and the coolest thing about it is I can go down here and I can fill out the form and I can reserve my spot as well. Sure can. So what we've been able to do with this website, this is revolutionary in terms of what we can accomplish. Is it? I feel like it's at least really handy.
Speaker 2:Is that better language to use? Sure. It's very user friendly. It's got a great look to it. So I think that someone, if they have 10 to 15 minutes, should really spend some time just taking a look at all the many resources that we have.
Speaker 2:You can find or you can mentor books on this website. Am I wrong? You can do that. I can link to and and find out about other mentoring organizations as well. You can do that.
Speaker 2:In an age when it feels so easy to just feel isolated and alone, this website comes alone, and it shows me that I'm not. That's deep. I think it's incredible. I'm have I mentioned how excited I am about that?
Speaker 1:I wanna talk about the Learning Labs. If you're a mentoring leader, executive, or director, and you want to hop on a phone call for an hour every month, that's called the Learning Labs. You connect with other leaders from all across America. You can sign up on our website. You can mentor.com.
Speaker 1:That's incredible. But John's right. We did get a new website. We got new social media. We got our man, Silas, taking care of us.
Speaker 1:Seen in Love Studios, Waco, Texas. Gabriel. Great guys. Yeah. But that's not what we're talking about today, John.
Speaker 2:What are we talking about? Just real quick. Can I just hold off for one second just to say that I
Speaker 1:feel like This is gonna count long?
Speaker 2:I feel like with energy, there's a little there's a little difference. You know? And I know that some of our listeners and and viewers enjoy to be able to look on the screen and see that there's a little bit of a spectrum, if you will, in terms of our personalities that we bring. I think that's I think everyone celebrates that and they're excited, but can I just ask about the energy today? Because here I am, I feel like I'm, you know, I'm busting at the seams here
Speaker 1:I can tell.
Speaker 2:In excitement. Yeah. And yet, what what how maybe we
Speaker 1:would Well We wanna describe your I don't appreciate your enthusiasm right now. Oh, wow. Because I'm having a hard day. Okay. Okay.
Speaker 1:Okay. There's a couple things going on. And you are over there acting like you're a 6 year old who just got 2 tickets to the carnival, and I'm having a hard day. And I don't appreciate it.
Speaker 2:How can I what can I do with it?
Speaker 1:Well, I feel unseen. I don't feel like you even care. I I don't feel like you've even noticed. Wow. Okay.
Speaker 1:And that makes me sad. I feel like I am
Speaker 2:going to learn something today.
Speaker 1:Well, I sure hope so. Because today, we're talking about matching energy.
Speaker 2:Wait a minute.
Speaker 1:I put it on you. Do you listener, did did you catch that?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:We were we were acting.
Speaker 2:My heart skipped a beat there. I was like, what am I gonna do?
Speaker 1:I was pretending to be sad.
Speaker 2:How many, you know, cookie bouquets am I gonna have to send these guys? That's what I was asking myself.
Speaker 1:In all actuality, I am kinda having kind of a hard day because for three reasons. 1, my back hurts. I woke up this morning and my back hurts. My wife had to help me put my socks on. Do you know how embarrassing that is?
Speaker 1:The second thing is I bought all these cool things for our new YouTube podcasting and Silas said you can't bring those in here. Oh. She basically yielded me.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:And I don't appreciate that. Okay. The third thing is Silas told me yesterday, he said don't wear shorts because it's too much leg. And I did. Why?
Speaker 1:Goes back to the back thing because I can't put pants on. And so that's why I'm wearing shorts. So I'm a little embarrassed.
Speaker 2:I don't think you should be. Okay. There's grace,
Speaker 1:first
Speaker 2:of all. And, and again, it takes it takes nothing away of of what the the smorgasbord Mhmm. Of conversation and information that we're about to to share with our listeners
Speaker 1:and viewers. Okay. So today, we're talking about matching energy. If you're listening to this and you're a mentoring leader, share it with your friends. Please give us that 5 star review on whatever you're listening to.
Speaker 1:It helps us reach more people and that's what we wanna do. Check out our website for cool stuff that you can give away. But today, matching energy. So what is matching energy? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like.
Speaker 1:You match the energy of your mentee. That is a best practice. If he or she if they're excited, you should be excited. If they are having a hard day, if they're kind of melancholy, maybe a tad bit sad, then match that energy. John, is there anything worse than whenever you're having a hard day and someone comes up to you and they're like, hey, buckaroo.
Speaker 1:What's going on?
Speaker 2:Right. Right. It almost seems to kinda compound the issue. Right? Yeah.
Speaker 2:You don't have the social energy in the moment, and then you feel like again, like, you're gonna even let this person down or, like, what's their problem? Why can't I just kinda be in this moment or or be be be maybe in my head or yeah. You're right. It's the worst.
Speaker 1:My I don't know if I'm gonna say it's the worst,
Speaker 2:but There's worst things you're saying. Yeah. There What are some what are what are some of the worst things?
Speaker 1:Like, throwing your back out and having your wife put your socks on.
Speaker 2:Or just, yeah, having to run and run-in shorts all day little. Oh. Jeez. You hate shorts. I hate shorts.
Speaker 1:When was the last time your legs have seen the sun? It's been a while. 86?
Speaker 2:And I will say in terms of yeah. In in color, it's blinding. It's blinding.
Speaker 1:Okay. So I learned about matching energy from trust based relational intervention, otherwise known as TBRI. If you haven't checked out TBRI, I highly encourage everything Karen Purvis has ever done in her entire life. She is amazing. TCU, TBRI.
Speaker 1:There's a podcast. Check it out. It's fantastic. But matching energy is really about, losing yourself. And it's about humility and getting on the level of your mentee.
Speaker 1:It is about setting aside your agenda and it's about meeting them exactly where they're at. It's about creating a safe place to celebrate, to process, or to grieve. And so, that's what we're gonna talk about today. John, has there ever been a, you have been doing youth ministry for decades? Yes.
Speaker 1:Has there ever been a time whenever you have just, like, seen a kid hurting and you went and did something about it, perhaps it was, like, just like a small sign or, like, something that most people couldn't see, but that you kinda caught on to.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And listen, I I would say just in terms of my brethren and sistereth out there Mhmm. I am not always picking up on the cues. So I think this is what's really great about this conversation is that I'm not always real quick to pick up, and maybe have that discernment. Yeah.
Speaker 2:My wife, on the other hand, is is so fantastic at it. And so I think that's why it's really good for us to be around, you know, be paired with someone who has those abilities and especially with our organizations that we know that we have some that are just that much more sensitive. However, there have been times that I would say that not maybe the opportunity to to be a great encouragement to someone who's feeling very discouraged, but I've come into a a meeting at times with a with a student who is very excited, and my energy doesn't match that. And so they, in some way, think that I'm upset with them Yeah. Or that I am you know, again, like, what's the what's the issue there?
Speaker 2:I'm kinda bringing your problem in. So I've I've I struggle with that at times. And I've always regretted those moments when I thought, you know what? I did not catch the cues there to know what kind of energy I needed to match with with that teenager or with even within that mentoring time.
Speaker 1:It's so hard because so much of mentoring, I feel like, is nonverbal. It's preparing beforehand. Mhmm. It's like, man, like, the importance of as a mentor preparing your heart, setting a sign setting a sign setting aside all of the stresses and all the worries of work or family or finances and preparing yourself. Hey.
Speaker 1:When I'm with my mentee, I'm all in. It's all about them. That is hard to do especially whenever you're coming from work or coming from hanging out with family and you're spending time with your kiddo. Sometimes it's just I just forget. Right.
Speaker 1:And so, I feel you, dude. Mhmm. I don't ever want my attitude, especially if it's bad, to stifle Mhmm. The energy of my mentee. Mhmm.
Speaker 1:But I will in regards to matching energy, let's talk about some tips. Okay. Shall we? When it comes to matching energy, the first thing that we need to really focus it on is what we just said. It is we have to notice your mentee.
Speaker 1:So whether it's you're picking them up or you're meeting them at a place or you're meeting them at a sporting event. Right? We have to go into that first interaction, that first second that we connect with them and say, what's going on? Is there something behind the services? How are their nonverbals?
Speaker 1:How are their facial expressions? We have to read the situation so that we can prepare ourselves to react, to what they need. Okay. Okay. So
Speaker 2:maybe not coming in hot and heavy right off the bat. Right. Right? But instead, really kinda taking either reading the room Reading the room. Right.
Speaker 2:Looking for those nonverbals, body language Yes. And and and tone, I'm guessing too. Right? Yeah. You know, first thing out of their mouth.
Speaker 2:Like, that so often tells you what do they say and how do they say it Yes.
Speaker 1:Would be kinda key here. And so you are kinda going into it, like, what's going on with my mentee? What's going on underneath the surface?
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:Right? And so and that takes kind of preparing because if you just come in hot and heavy, then you might risk that. Mhmm. So, the second tip for matching energy is asking questions. But you also have to have discernment to know, hey.
Speaker 1:Maybe these questions are being counterproductive. So ask questions, but always be keeping a gauge on your mentee to figure out, are you asking too many questions? Because not asking any kind of question can be a turn off, but asking too many that can make them upset.
Speaker 2:Right. Do you feel like it can be a struggle based on the mentors just personality type to begin with? Because I was thinking about this, you know, you think about the instigator or you think about and sometimes that's a really good thing because you can you can kinda lift your your mentee maybe out of that, you know, out of that bad mood, let's say. And sometimes that personality type might think, well, it's my job to come in and no matter how they're feeling to really, like, get them laughing again or Or fix them? Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. There we go. Exactly.
Speaker 1:We don't ever wanna try to, quote unquote, fix our mentee because that makes them feel like there's some kind of project, not a person. Sometimes words are not necessary. Sometimes what your mentee needs is for you just to sit by them. And we say this often, John, your presence is enough. Your presence is a great present.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:Right? But that takes discernment. Yeah. Right? So, like, holy spirit has to be in the room and kinda guiding you, like, okay.
Speaker 1:Do I say words? Do I not say words? Do I smile? Do I not smile? Do I ask questions?
Speaker 1:Do I not ask questions? Well, that's gonna change every time depending on what you feel like is the best move. Mhmm. Mhmm. Which is hard because everyone wants the, hey, do this every time.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. Sometimes it's gray. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:So I love the read the room, reading the mentee, and, hopefully, you know, you've maybe even spent some time enough when you kinda pick up on some of those cues a little a little bit quicker, maybe the more time you've been spending with this young person. And then asking those good questions and then knowing when you need to just pipe down. Yeah. And to me, I think even with kind of a history of church leadership pastoral care, the pressure seems to be always having the right thing to say. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And what we're also wanting to kind of reinforce is there's kind of those some of those beautiful moments when it's really not about what you say at all. But as you mentioned, I'm just gonna sit with you. Is it you know, that even asking that, is it okay if we just sit here and and when you're ready to talk, great. If not, that's okay as well. And that seems to be like it would be a really healthy kinda thing to do to give our mentee that that option and just to know that there's no pressure.
Speaker 2:That you're not looking at them to to make this 30 minutes really valuable because, you know, you had all these plans for your time, but instead letting them kinda lead that.
Speaker 1:Which this is what's so crazy. I mean, I'm thinking about my mentor, Steve. Right? I've talked to Steve for sure every week, if not multiple times a week. Every day, every day.
Speaker 1:No. I'm sorry. For the last, 15 years. And I can remember a very few things that he has actually said. But I have remembered, dozen, hundreds of things of how he made me feel.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. Like when he called or when he pursued or when he sent that note or when he sent that text. I don't remember what it said, but I just remember that he sent it. And so, like, how much of what you say is your mentee going to remember in 20 years? That's a great question.
Speaker 1:Probably not a lot. But he's gonna remember every time that you showed up for. And that is just something that we need to consistently remind ourselves over and over and over is showing up is, like, 85 to 90% of being a good mentor. Yep. So the next one is, this could be hard for us adults, especially me.
Speaker 1:You're a little bit better at this, but if they are excited and they wanna celebrate, we need to celebrate with them. I feel like adults are bad at celebrating. I am bad at celebrating. Mhmm. I just wanna move on to the next thing and just keep on churning.
Speaker 1:But it's it's so healthy to celebrate. It's so healthy to have joy and to clap and say, hey, that's amazing. That's so great. Let's go celebrate. Let's go out for ice cream sandwiches.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You know? Yeah. Hey. Do you want vanilla? Do you want Neapolitan?
Speaker 1:Gosh. That would be just a
Speaker 2:magical thing if I just heard you say that. You know, like, how special.
Speaker 1:If me and you got ice cream sandwiches.
Speaker 2:And he just gave me the option of those 2.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Not only if they are, excited to celebrate, but when they are down, we mourn with those who mourn. Mhmm. And I also feel like we, in our culture, we don't do a real good job of grieving because it's uncomfortable. No one wants to do that and because we're busy.
Speaker 1:But if we can teach our mentees to grieve and if we can sit with them in their sorrow, that also can be extremely impactful. And so wherever they are, meet them there. Mhmm. And whatever you had planned, whatever you thought that you were gonna say, that can go out the window because it's not about you. Right.
Speaker 1:It's not about your plans. It's not about your agenda. It's not about today, I was gonna teach them about Dave Ramsey's step 4 on how to become financially free, which I'm sure is great. Dave Ramsey, you're awesome. Because I know that you're listening.
Speaker 1:But it's about them. It's about the mentee. And we can't forget that, which is hard because that takes humility and that takes selflessness. But, the son of man came to serve, not to be served.
Speaker 2:Mhmm. So we really are talking about the difference of that expectation because I think you put it really well. You're excited about maybe what God gave you that morning in your quiet time and so or you're no. You're really just really pumped about the change that you're making in the life of of another. Maybe you listen to a Whitney Houston song that morning.
Speaker 2:Right? Whitney Houston. And you just kinda believe that children are the future. And you go in there thinking, like, man, this is gonna happen. Like, they are going to be changed.
Speaker 2:And then you realize, wait a minute. Their energy is way off. I was not expecting this. And so it is it is up to us as the mentor to shift. Right?
Speaker 2:To change gears completely. For those of you who
Speaker 1:can't see, I'm touching John's leg right now. They don't have to change. We change.
Speaker 2:Right. We're the changers. We are the adults. Mhmm.
Speaker 1:We are the ones who can set aside our stuff and say, no, no, no. I'm gonna meet you where you're at. I'm not gonna expect you to come where I am.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And that's Jesus, man. Yeah. Go to that. That's Jesus. Jesus went to them.
Speaker 1:And that is remarkably profound and really hard to do. Yeah. Because I wanna talk about me. You know, the great philosopher, Toby Keith. I wanna talk about me.
Speaker 1:I wanna talk about I wanna talk about number 1. But that's not what we're here to do, John. No. We're here to be like Jesus.
Speaker 2:This episode could have a playlist by the way.
Speaker 1:We are. Pretty quickly. It's because we both love music. Okay. Lastly, here is another tip.
Speaker 1:Hey, we can pray. We can pray with our mentee. Mhmm. I know that seems weird. You gotta use discernment and say, is this a good time?
Speaker 1:But if they are excited, if they wanna celebrate, dear god, thank you, lord, for allowing this to happen. If they're down, dear god, would you please surround my mentee with comfort? Mhmm. Would you please meet him where he is at or she where she's at? You know?
Speaker 1:God likes everyone.
Speaker 2:There there is, obviously, it's really special to pray for our mentees and to hear and for our mentees to hear us pray for them. But I also just wanna stress the importance of our mentees hearing us and how we talk to the Lord. That is going to go so far in how they understand how they can talk to the lord. Whether whether they are a believer at the time or or far from the lord, man, again, that is that is so important and such a win. So I I I say always default on that.
Speaker 2:Any opportunity that you can take to verbally, you know, again, pray out loud on behalf of and pray for our mentee, but but in all things, that is going to to really set a a wonderful tone if we're talking about setting a tone and catching what our mentors or our mentees are doing. But for us, just having a spirit of prayer and knowing that we can go to prayer at any time, is is a really important lesson.
Speaker 1:And that all comes back to seeing the situation, seeing your mentee. Is this something that would benefit them? Is this something that would, yeah, that would be a good thing? Absolutely. Lord, give us eyes to see more than what's just being seen.
Speaker 1:How we see the unseen. Alright. So here's some things not
Speaker 2:to do, John. Are you ready for this? I love being told what not to do. I'm sure
Speaker 1:you do. Alright. It's okay to encourage, by all means. Okay? But we can't make them feel bad for feeling bad.
Speaker 1:Okay? Mhmm. I sometimes do this with my kid and I feel terrible about it. But my kid's having a hard day and my kid's down. They're sad and I think what they're sad about is not important.
Speaker 1:So hey, stop being sad. When has that ever gone well? Hey, stop being sad. You know what? You're right.
Speaker 1:I am. Now I'm joyful. That's sad. It doesn't work. You're the best.
Speaker 1:But, we we have to, make sure that we are encouraging them and not making them feel any kind of shame or guilt or condemnation.
Speaker 2:So our mentees should not be forced to justify them feeling poorly. Right. Right? Having being in a bad mood or or whatever. And you're so right.
Speaker 2:We gosh. It would be just, just so brazen of us to to say, hey, I need you to justify, you know. You don't have any reason to feel this way. It's like and and there are times when you really can't justify. Have you ever had a day when you just you had no idea why because the circumstances were optimal but you still just didn't feel good.
Speaker 2:You just you ever had that?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Me too. And it's a good thing to remember.
Speaker 1:I mean, grace, man. Grace abounds. Like, that's one thing that the Lord has been teaching me just a ton lately is just grace is such a powerful deal. And so, Lord, help me see others how you see them. Help give me a heart of compassion, a heart of grace.
Speaker 1:And man, I'm so quick to condemn. I'm so quick to control. I'm so quick to stop. Stop it. Stop doing the thing that I don't like.
Speaker 1:And man, if I could just love the person for who they are instead of the actions that they do, man, that would be amazing. I would be so much more like Jesus. Mhmm. Well, now I'm sad because I'm not compassionate. So thanks, John.
Speaker 1:You just made me I'm just You're welcome. Okay. Next thing, don't be a wet blanket. Mhmm. Okay?
Speaker 1:We get it. You're tired. You're stressed. But if they're super excited, don't come in and be, like,
Speaker 2:That's what that's what a wet blanket is. Right? I think so. Okay. Yeah.
Speaker 2:It just, like, you're kind of a Debbie Downer.
Speaker 1:Is that right? Like, hey. If your mentee's super pumped up, then don't come in and be like, yeah. Why? A terrible day.
Speaker 1:Yeah. You know? Yeah. And so, you are the adult in the situation. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You can tell them. You can share about what's going on in your life and what's going on. But like what we said at the very beginning, if you have a negative attitude, you don't want that to pull down your mid team. Mhmm. So and then lastly, if they are having a great day, if they go, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:I just made, second team all state and then don't one up them. Oh, yeah. Which, John, you are the king of one upping because you've had so many successes in life.
Speaker 2:That's the hard thing about being such a such a successful, attractive human being. Right. But in all seriousness, I you know, I'm kinda surrounded by some pretty competitive people. You guys, you like the sports. We And so, you know, is it hard to kinda cut to to kinda turn that off?
Speaker 1:Yeah. Very much so.
Speaker 2:Flip that switch.
Speaker 1:So if your mentee is like, hey. I I just got a second team all state. They'll be like, yeah. Well, I got first team. Oh, well, thanks.
Speaker 1:Thanks, mentor. Right. You know? And so, yeah. It's a you just don't wanna do that.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:You just wanna celebrate. The Jim Gaffigan stand up Don't know. About hail on the moon? No. Please tell me.
Speaker 2:He said that at every dinner party, if you've walked on the moon, you can one up everyone in the room, and that that is what what brings to mind.
Speaker 1:That is the ultimate. Yeah.
Speaker 2:If you've walked on the moon No.
Speaker 1:I walked on the moon.
Speaker 2:Yes. Yes. So you're right. Do not do not one up your Minty.
Speaker 1:Okay. So I want us to get serious for a second.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Are you holding your book?
Speaker 2:Oh, am I Are you Sorry. Are you forgetting
Speaker 1:your book right now?
Speaker 2:I'm I was I picked up Mephibosheth. And I wanted the to just kinda frame it Stop it.
Speaker 1:For our I'm about to get serious. Okay. Let let's talk about Jesus. The person of Jesus. Right?
Speaker 1:Okay. How did Jesus act at a party? You know, how did you feel when you were in his presence? Do you think he left? Do you think he asked you a bunch of questions?
Speaker 1:Do you think he talked about all of his successes and all of his accolades? Or do you think he noticed you? Do you think he met you where you were? Do you think you left feeling encouraged and seen and cared for after connecting with Jesus? I think he did.
Speaker 1:And so it's awesome. Guys, please hear me. I want every mentee out there to excel in life. Hey. Go to college.
Speaker 1:Make straight a's. Make the sports team. Make your dreams come true. And mentors, there is a role that we have to help them get there. But more than anything, our main role is to help them feel the presence of Jesus and help them feel loved unconditionally.
Speaker 1:Help them feel seen in a world where so many people don't get seen. You know, there's so many of these kids don't have one person encouraging them or saying, hey, I see that about you. And we get to be that. Mhmm. And that is amazing.
Speaker 1:Is mentoring hard? Yes. Extremely difficult. But you get to transform someone's life and maybe change generations because you set aside yourself and you noticed someone and you love them and you made them feel like Jesus would make them feel. You got it.
Speaker 1:And that's it, man. Yeah. That's a big deal. Jesus was full of compassion. He was observant.
Speaker 1:He was 100% focused on others. Whatever the other person needed, Jesus figured that out, and he tried to give it to him. You know, he was able to actually provide for them. We might not be able to do that every time, but we can try. Mhmm.
Speaker 1:Right? So we must see our mentees. We must truly see them and what's going on beneath the surface, behind the scenes, under the rug, if you will
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:John. We'll get swept. We'll get swept under the rug. So let us enter into every meeting thinking, how are they truly doing? What do they need?
Speaker 1:And how can I serve them? Because that's our jobs as mentors is to serve, is to spotlight, is to champion, is to celebrate, is to, mourn with and help them grieve. I mean, we are there beside them. Side by side mentoring, man. You got it.
Speaker 1:What do you think about that, John? I'm I'm in. Are you? Are you in for the learning labs?
Speaker 2:I'm in for all of it. I told you. I'm already For the conference? I'm For the new website. And favorites.
Speaker 2:I'm on
Speaker 1:the social media. Please follow us.
Speaker 2:Right. The sharing dot com.
Speaker 1:Sharing the things, all the things.
Speaker 2:And at you can mentor.
Speaker 1:And send us emails. Zach@ukanmentor.john@ukanmentor.com. Absolutely. Alright. We love you, mentors.
Speaker 1:Mentoring leaders, share this. Rate us all the good stuff. John, anything else? YouTube in the house?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And just how how great is this? We're back. To be able to have a We're back. It's 2024, and here we are.
Speaker 1:The year of our lord. Love it. With my legs. If you don't remember anything else that you've heard today, remember this, John?
Speaker 2:You can mentor. That's right.
Speaker 1:See you. Thanks for tuning in to the You Can Mentor podcast. Give us that 5 star rating and share this podcast with your mentoring friends. Learn more at youcanmentor.com. Thank you.