Andrew, a friend whom I have known for more than 15 years started chatting with me over MSN moments ago. He has been living in Canada for about 10 years and stays minutes away from my first mentor, Robert. It got me missing Robert again and inspired me to pen these thoughts.
I was no more than 16 when I first knew Robert. His wife Sylvia was my first Bible study teacher. Robert’s impact in my life was very great, despite having only a relatively short mentoring relationship with him that lasted a few years. In fact, I did not even think of him as my mentor at that time, not that I knew what it meant either! He was just an older person who had an ability to assure me that my life mattered.
We would have long conversations mostly revolving around my family. He would spend hours hearing me out as I raved and ranted in anger towards my parents. He would never once raise his voice at me, even though I remembered those piercing eyes that would stop my craziest of rantings. He had the ability to stop me in my tracks without saying a word.
One of his favourite mentions of me was how often he has to remember that I was only a kid way back then. Because I was so “precocious” then, he talks to me like an adult only to have me remind him that I was only 17 and still in JC.
One time, I did not want to go home because things were unpleasant with my parents. I decided to hang out with some boys at Bedok jetty. I remember Andrew’s look of despair as the night wore long and I refused to go home. As a last desperate measure, Andrew called Robert who swiftly appeared at the jetty in 30 minutes. I don’t remember what he said but I do remember going home after that. I wonder if Robert laughs the way I do when I recall that incident now.
As I was thinking about Robert, it led me to remember the relationship Timothy had with the apostle Paul. Their relationship was a prime example of how older people influence and shape our lives in ways we can’t imagine. Similarly, Paul held Timothy very dear to his heart, often calling him his “dear son” and “true son”.
I have benefited richly from the wisdom, counsel, patience, love and experience of God-fearing older people who have taken the time to invest in me. These God-ordained relationships serve as models of how I would now be like a “Paul” to other “Timothys”. However I would never venture to say I no longer need the older person’s influence in my life. In fact, I have experienced so much of the richness of such relationships that it would be a shame not to have them.
Robert was one of the first people who believed in me when I didn’t even think I was worth believing in. In faith, he often spoke well of me even though I knew my behaviour contradicted his words. I don’t ever think he was lying or deluded. I think he was simply speaking what he believed I could be. And I hope I made him proud.
I was no more than 16 when I first knew Robert. His wife Sylvia was my first Bible study teacher. Robert’s impact in my life was very great, despite having only a relatively short mentoring relationship with him that lasted a few years. In fact, I did not even think of him as my mentor at that time, not that I knew what it meant either! He was just an older person who had an ability to assure me that my life mattered.
We would have long conversations mostly revolving around my family. He would spend hours hearing me out as I raved and ranted in anger towards my parents. He would never once raise his voice at me, even though I remembered those piercing eyes that would stop my craziest of rantings. He had the ability to stop me in my tracks without saying a word.
One of his favourite mentions of me was how often he has to remember that I was only a kid way back then. Because I was so “precocious” then, he talks to me like an adult only to have me remind him that I was only 17 and still in JC.
One time, I did not want to go home because things were unpleasant with my parents. I decided to hang out with some boys at Bedok jetty. I remember Andrew’s look of despair as the night wore long and I refused to go home. As a last desperate measure, Andrew called Robert who swiftly appeared at the jetty in 30 minutes. I don’t remember what he said but I do remember going home after that. I wonder if Robert laughs the way I do when I recall that incident now.
As I was thinking about Robert, it led me to remember the relationship Timothy had with the apostle Paul. Their relationship was a prime example of how older people influence and shape our lives in ways we can’t imagine. Similarly, Paul held Timothy very dear to his heart, often calling him his “dear son” and “true son”.
I have benefited richly from the wisdom, counsel, patience, love and experience of God-fearing older people who have taken the time to invest in me. These God-ordained relationships serve as models of how I would now be like a “Paul” to other “Timothys”. However I would never venture to say I no longer need the older person’s influence in my life. In fact, I have experienced so much of the richness of such relationships that it would be a shame not to have them.
Robert was one of the first people who believed in me when I didn’t even think I was worth believing in. In faith, he often spoke well of me even though I knew my behaviour contradicted his words. I don’t ever think he was lying or deluded. I think he was simply speaking what he believed I could be. And I hope I made him proud.
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