I remain grateful for the gift of grace given me by one of my professors in seminary who gave me his valuable time. In his busy schedule he had time to talk, show an interest in my work and who I was.
I admire the mentors who take the time to put others first. I think of the big brothers and big sisters who put a young boy or girl on their calendars and in their hearts every week. I think of the teachers who stay late to put a few minutes into the life of student. I remember an older man who employed a young man, showed him how to cut stone, lay brick, seed a lawn, and build a retaining wall. The young man now has his own business. There are untold numbers of wives, mothers, husbands, fathers, siblings, who put others first. The good in this world, for a large part, owes its genesis to such people.
I think of a man in his thirties who told his friends that the greatest gift a person can give another is to give one’s life for his friends. And he did. Jesus put us first.
Who can you put first today, not in a trade off of time or for any good you receive, but for the good of the other? It is a gift. Great than you know or can calculate. It’s what makes the world work. It’s God’s way. Yes, you will receive. In ways you probably can’t conceive. The joy of seeing someone else thrive because of the life you gave them is immense. Yes, mentoring, putting others first, is a way God works through you to bless his world. Your savior knows that joy. You were one of those he put first. You have received the gift he died to create for you.
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