Mentoring has a huge payoff

Tonight, I received the best sense of hope and accomplishment from a group of people that used to terrify, frustrate and stress me out.

A group of 7th and 8th grade confirmation students have created one of my greatest thrills ever. Why? Because they were learning tonight. Not only were they learning, I think a few were even enjoying it. 🙂 (Although I don’t think they would admit it.)

One student in particular, who regularly shows up late, acts uninterested and rarely participates surprised me the most. Not only did the student participate, he requested to be the first to read, came up with thoughtful responses and was an active part of the conversation. This was beyond exciting for me. I think our pastor finds my excitement amusing. I was practically bouncing in my seat. I think she shared my excitement–but in a slightly calmer form.

Our topic tonight was friendship, the four “types” of love as described in the Bible. They asked great questions, had great ideas and truly made learning fun. 🙂

I love teaching and training. The “aha” moment is thrilling. It’s challenging, exciting and intellectually stimulating.