Passing It On

This is one of my favorite photos of me and my then four-year-old granddaughter. She was “helping” me mulch the leaves with the lawn mower. We didn’t have a formal partnership named “Papa and Bella’s Mulching Service”; it was just one of those spontaneous days when we decided to tackle the task together. If you had asked her about her role at the time, she would have declared with enthusiasm, “Me and Papa are mowing the yard.” Clearly, I was walking beside her, guiding and steering the mower. However, at her tender age, she believed she was the one doing the lion's share of the work.

What a beautiful representation of mentorship. I aspire to always be there for those coming after me, offering encouragement, subtly guiding them (so subtle they're unaware of it), and letting them experience the thrill of achievement without my participation even being noticed. These partnerships will not often be formal arrangements but rather those unplanned moments when we walk together, and I seize the opportunity to support and applaud them. May the Lord grant me the grace to provide this mentorship for the rest of my days.

"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2 KJV)

Duke Stone
After 40 years in full-time ministry, I try to see how the little things in life speak big things about God. This blog is an attempt to share with you the many ways I see the love of God in the ordinary things of life.