I am kind of a little weird sometimes. When I get some time to myself, sometimes all I want to do is listen to or watch teachings, usually from christian circles I follow, I'm just an information junkie, and I love to just absorb wisdom and knowledge...not that anybody would be able to tell by the way I act...but I am sure it's all in their somewhere...repressed ...somewhere.
However, a trend I've just started to notice in some of my favorite Christian speakers is they all talk about when they first became Christians how they sought out "spiritual parents" or people that had lot's of experience in the Christian lifestyle; obviously this doesn't seem abnormal, but it just got my mind thinking, I started thinking about all these great artists, designers, dancers, business me, all the greats I've researched, all worked underneath someone and assisted, all had mentors to speak into them, their craft and their life.
Although in this season of my life I do not have anyone I would consider an active mentor, I have had them in the past, both spiritual mentors to inspire me, speak into my life, challenge me and coach me, as well as professional mentors, seasoned makeup artists or accomplished individuals in the local fashion industry. Myself being a young woman, they have always been women themselves, and all have had an irreversible impact on my life. From hard truths for character growths to cheer leading in tear filled nights not to give up;
these women have shaped my life and who I am.
I am blessed as well to have my own biological parents active in my life as people I can bounce things off of and turn to, but I think it's important to have someone outside of your family too. I once heard somebody say that in your life you should always have three types of relationships; Fathers/Mothers - People you turn to, who invest and give to you, but you give little back, somebody to talk to when you have questions who always has answers or can help you find answers ,Brothers/Sisters: Relationships where there is a give and take, equal playing field for experience and wisdom and then finally; Sons/Daughters: Somebody who you give to and expect nothing in return, that you are the father/mother figure in the relationship.
I feel like our society stresses the brother/sister relationship, but not the father/mother or the son/daughter. I don't know if there are concrete goals and priorities outside of the educational institute to invest in the next generations as a work force, as parents, as the next leaders and as humans. I feel, and maybe it's just being in Moncton and this isn't a western epidemic, that it is difficult for me to find somebody to learn from, somebody to take the time to invest in me. Now obviously being an apprentice/disciple or under someone, you admire and respect the person being the mentor, so you don't want it to be just anyone, but somebody you see has strengths in your areas of weakness. Anyways, I hope it's partly a mindset and not me just being too big of a pain in the ass to invest in.HAHA! However, there was a prophet (for my secular friends a prophet is someone is spiritual sensitive and hears from God, in the secular world they spiritual sensitive people are often called pyschics or mediums who hear and interact with spirits in general. Although their gifting is the same, a true christian prophet will only listen to what God says and never other spirits) from England, sharing at my church a few years back and he was sharing how God's heart is broken for the fathers and mothers, both literally and figuratively, to turn back to stewarding the next generation.
Like I said, I am an information junkie, and consistently the things I read about the greats right now, is somebody let them work underneath them as the honed their craft and they now encourage people wanting to break into their line of work, to find the same. So, originally, I wrote this as a challenge to the older generation, however, I feel now it is applicable to my generation and the former.
To My Generation:
#1. Don't be Arrogant - we don't know everything, nobody does, but surprisingly , there are people out there who do know more then us about somethings. Perhaps, it is not technology or the latest whatever, but when it comes to relationships, character, life, marriage, children, religion, spirituality, maybe they don't have all the answers, but what they do have is experience, we aren't the first ones going through what we are going through, and we don't need to do so alone.
#2. Invest in the Next Generation - Regardless of what we received, we can't let the cycle continue, we can't let the generational gap continue to grow. If you don't have wisdom to share, you have had your first job interview, you have had your own humiliations and successes, you have fallen in love and you have had your heart broken. You've had to persevere through something, and you've had to weigh countless times your morals making difficult decisions. I know at times when I've felt like my back was against the wall, or I was overwhelmed, just hearing that someone else had been there too- gave me hope. We can slow down, pause our own agendas of becoming legends or empires and just give some of ourselves to someone who needs it, and may never be able to return the favor.
To The Mother/Father Generation:
#1. I hope you don't see this as a judgement, as I recognize you're working with what you have been given, but for the continued progression of humanity, we need your experience and insight. Our society continues to become more and more narcissistic and more and more obsessed with self preservation. If our generations continues to navel gaze the break down of relationships, marriages, families, and societies is inevitable. It is not always necessary for us to make our own mistakes if we can learn from yours, and we are able to grow in our weaknesses as we lean on your strength.
My heart for my son and his generation is that my ceiling will be his floor and part of my personal growth is to become a person who can actively make that happen.
However, a trend I've just started to notice in some of my favorite Christian speakers is they all talk about when they first became Christians how they sought out "spiritual parents" or people that had lot's of experience in the Christian lifestyle; obviously this doesn't seem abnormal, but it just got my mind thinking, I started thinking about all these great artists, designers, dancers, business me, all the greats I've researched, all worked underneath someone and assisted, all had mentors to speak into them, their craft and their life.
Although in this season of my life I do not have anyone I would consider an active mentor, I have had them in the past, both spiritual mentors to inspire me, speak into my life, challenge me and coach me, as well as professional mentors, seasoned makeup artists or accomplished individuals in the local fashion industry. Myself being a young woman, they have always been women themselves, and all have had an irreversible impact on my life. From hard truths for character growths to cheer leading in tear filled nights not to give up;
these women have shaped my life and who I am.
I am blessed as well to have my own biological parents active in my life as people I can bounce things off of and turn to, but I think it's important to have someone outside of your family too. I once heard somebody say that in your life you should always have three types of relationships; Fathers/Mothers - People you turn to, who invest and give to you, but you give little back, somebody to talk to when you have questions who always has answers or can help you find answers ,Brothers/Sisters: Relationships where there is a give and take, equal playing field for experience and wisdom and then finally; Sons/Daughters: Somebody who you give to and expect nothing in return, that you are the father/mother figure in the relationship.
I feel like our society stresses the brother/sister relationship, but not the father/mother or the son/daughter. I don't know if there are concrete goals and priorities outside of the educational institute to invest in the next generations as a work force, as parents, as the next leaders and as humans. I feel, and maybe it's just being in Moncton and this isn't a western epidemic, that it is difficult for me to find somebody to learn from, somebody to take the time to invest in me. Now obviously being an apprentice/disciple or under someone, you admire and respect the person being the mentor, so you don't want it to be just anyone, but somebody you see has strengths in your areas of weakness. Anyways, I hope it's partly a mindset and not me just being too big of a pain in the ass to invest in.HAHA! However, there was a prophet (for my secular friends a prophet is someone is spiritual sensitive and hears from God, in the secular world they spiritual sensitive people are often called pyschics or mediums who hear and interact with spirits in general. Although their gifting is the same, a true christian prophet will only listen to what God says and never other spirits) from England, sharing at my church a few years back and he was sharing how God's heart is broken for the fathers and mothers, both literally and figuratively, to turn back to stewarding the next generation.
Like I said, I am an information junkie, and consistently the things I read about the greats right now, is somebody let them work underneath them as the honed their craft and they now encourage people wanting to break into their line of work, to find the same. So, originally, I wrote this as a challenge to the older generation, however, I feel now it is applicable to my generation and the former.
To My Generation:
#1. Don't be Arrogant - we don't know everything, nobody does, but surprisingly , there are people out there who do know more then us about somethings. Perhaps, it is not technology or the latest whatever, but when it comes to relationships, character, life, marriage, children, religion, spirituality, maybe they don't have all the answers, but what they do have is experience, we aren't the first ones going through what we are going through, and we don't need to do so alone.
#2. Invest in the Next Generation - Regardless of what we received, we can't let the cycle continue, we can't let the generational gap continue to grow. If you don't have wisdom to share, you have had your first job interview, you have had your own humiliations and successes, you have fallen in love and you have had your heart broken. You've had to persevere through something, and you've had to weigh countless times your morals making difficult decisions. I know at times when I've felt like my back was against the wall, or I was overwhelmed, just hearing that someone else had been there too- gave me hope. We can slow down, pause our own agendas of becoming legends or empires and just give some of ourselves to someone who needs it, and may never be able to return the favor.
To The Mother/Father Generation:
#1. I hope you don't see this as a judgement, as I recognize you're working with what you have been given, but for the continued progression of humanity, we need your experience and insight. Our society continues to become more and more narcissistic and more and more obsessed with self preservation. If our generations continues to navel gaze the break down of relationships, marriages, families, and societies is inevitable. It is not always necessary for us to make our own mistakes if we can learn from yours, and we are able to grow in our weaknesses as we lean on your strength.
My heart for my son and his generation is that my ceiling will be his floor and part of my personal growth is to become a person who can actively make that happen.
