Follow Faith!
Tonight during youth class, I couldn’t help but thank God for mentors and leaders in my life. Being a part of a youth ministry has definitely kept me accountable. The awesome thing for me is that my youth leaders also happen to be my aunt & uncle. My Aunt Stace is my mom’s sister. She has always been a big part of my life, and she has been a great help to me over the last couple of weeks.
For one, she has been my personal nurse every day! Whether it's medicine, showering, cleaning my face, or building my faith, she is there. The morning after the accident, I remember her and Briana, my cousin, coming up to the hospital to bring me clothes. All day, her and my dad sat with me while I was in and out of it. I remember the eye doctor coming in to check my eye. When the doctor left the room, my dad walked out with her. I was immediately concerned because I didn’t see any light when she checked my eye. I remember my Aunt Stace grabbing my hand and telling me that God is in control. I cried a little, but she encouraged me to trust God and to thank Him that I was alive. She really helped me beat discouragement that day. For the next week, she came four times a day to put my eye drops in and apply my medicine for the burns on my face. Every time she walked in the door, it was bitter sweet—I was glad to see her, but I hated putting the drops in and the ointment on because it hurt really bad. She would always say, “You know what time it is!” Ugh…but thank you Jesus, the drops don’t hurt anymore and my face is healing great!
My Aunt Stacy has always been a mentor in my life, but even more so during the past few weeks. Going through this situation has given me the opportunity to talk more about life, what I’m going through, and share my heart with her--especially writing these blogs. As a teenager, I am realizing how important it is to have a mentor. A lot of teens talk to each other, but if they don’t have someone like a mentor that can give them guidance, then most likely, they will make really bad decisions. Or, they may hold things in that they need to talk about, and then, it can cause them a lot of hurt. Mentorship is important, and I can really see why. She has pushed me to be more vocal about what is going on in my life…even with writing this blog! She is pushing me to be more mature and has helped keep my faith in God’s word.
It’s kind of crazy, but inside, I have always thought of myself more like my aunt than anyone else. I have a lot of my mom in me, but I see a lot of me in my aunt as well. She always makes me laugh—she makes everyone laugh! She is just the kind of person that’s almost like…contagious. I know that sounds weird, but it’s like she can rub off on you, especially in what she preaches. I think that’s why I love hearing her preach. She really knows how to talk to teens in a way that causes us to listen. I can relate to her a lot because she is always ministering right to my heart and my spirit. She knows what teens are going through and knows what to say to wake us up! And, she is definitely not afraid to tell us the difference between right and wrong. She is very passionate about anything she does—whether preaching, coaching soccer, playing games, or whatever. I guess that’s why I love her to death and wanted to take time to write about her influence in my life. She is the best aunt in the world!
There is a scripture in Hebrews 13:7 that says, “Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.”
My Aunt Stacy has been a great leader in my life. This scripture encourages me and you, to remember our leaders. We should look at their example and watch how they live their lives. But not only that, we should follow their example of faith. That’s what my desire is—I want to follow the faith of someone like my youth leader, aunt, mentor and friend. Everyone should desire the same thing in their own life. If you don’t have a youth leader or mentor or pastor, find one! If you don’t have a local youth group around here, come with me!
We all need someone in our lives that has walked through some of the things we are walking through right now. Sure, you can talk to your friends. But, why not learn to listen to people who have been there and done that. It’s like asking directions to a place from someone who has never been there. They can point you there, but they don’t really know. I would rather ask someone for directions that has already been there and knows exactly where to turn and where to go. Mentorship is just like that. It's important. It has helped me get to where I am today. I challenge you to find someone in your life that you can follow. But remember, follow faith!
