a mentoring letter to myself:

I was at this conference earlier this week, and they were talking about mentoring, and someone said something that led me on to a little time of day-dreaming, and I thought to myself, “what if I could somehow, send a letter back in time to myself from now? what kind of mentoring would I have given a young youth pastor named Rob, who was fresh out of seminary, staring out in a new town and a new church?” first of all, if I COULD send myself a letter, I probably wouldn’t talk a whole lot about work; I’d probably tell myself a lot more about family, real estate, stocks, and stuff like that; but for the fun of it, I gave it some thought::

“Dear Rob-

this is a letter from you, from the year 2012. I don’t want to give away too much about your future, but I’d like to give you a few words of advice that should help you navigate the next 11 years:

:: find some friends- I know that you’re kind of a loner, but there are some wonderful people in this town that will be a huge help and support to you. when you find them, invest in them, trust them, encourage them, listen to them and cherish them. lean on them in hard times, share with them and let them pray for you. have some fun with them.

:: take care of yourself- you’re going to be tempted to work quite a bit, and that’s ok for short seasons, but look after your soul. take time for the bible and prayer, and solitude- lots of time. go on lots of walks and hikes, this place is great for that. do the things that encourage you and replenish your soul. take care of your body- I know that the Malibu grill is just down the street, but take it easy on the calories. take time with deanna, lots and lots of time with deanna! she is way more important than work and ministry!

:: invest in people- God is going to surround you with some of the most amazing people- invest in them. invest in your volunteers. get to know them and become friends with them, they will become some of your dearest friends here. invest in your bosses (you’ll have a few!) be a refreshing person for them. be easy to lead. invest in your students- the middle school ones and the college aged ones; if you stick around for awhile, you will have the chance to have enduring friendships with them with the opportunity for a lasting impact.  

:: deal with problems quickly- its been said that there are tensions that need to be managed, and problems that need to be fixed. if you discover a problem (and you will!) fix it soon before it becomes a mess.

:: get over yourself- I know you, and I know that you have the tendency to think that you’re pretty cool; and I encourage you to lower yourself and be humble. people like to be with humble people. treat everyone with kindness, respect, and dignity; everyone! seek out advice from mentors, volunteers, parents, books and friends. learn from everyone, because you don’t know it all. you don’t need to be the center of attention, and your opinion is great to you, but you don’t always have to share it. you'll see some successes, and make sure that you share them with God and your team- its not all about you! being right isn't as important as you think it is.

:: don’t worry so much- you worry a lot; and in some ways that’s ok. its ok to worry about safety, security and correct teaching. but don’t worry so much about what people think about you. don’t worry so much about the numbers or appearing smart. here is a good verse from proverbs 29: "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe." don’t worry too much about the church budget or facility- it will never be enough. don’t worry about the people who don’t like you (sorry- you’ll meet some of those). if you’re going to worry, worry about kids, and families; about integrity, health and your community.

:: have a little fun- you're too serious! laugh often. go for walks and day trips. take someone out to lunch or coffee often. be interested, no, fascinated in others. give it your very best.

Rob, I’ll be honest with you- there are some tough days ahead, but stay close to Jesus- follow Him and He will lead you into some big moments; moments so big that you’ll wonder how you got there, and if it gets any better than this. no matter what comes your way, don’t give up. don’t let anyone make you lose your cool. the joys will far outweigh the tough spots. you’re going to make it.

-rob”

P.S. if you should ever get the idea of renting a woodchipper to use at a youth event…

never mind…go for it! it will be a good story someday!”

God is love.

-rev-rob