During this busy last week of classes, I was able to find a
time to chat with Marty. Amidst all the chaos of presentations and final
papers, I am so glad I was able to hear some words of encouragement from my man
Marty. Marty and I talked extensively about my schoolwork and how this semester
has been overall. Talking about my family, my fitness, my mindset, and my
faith. Something I really appreciate about Marty is that he genuinely cares
about all of me. He’s not just a mentor trying to help me grow my faith. Yes
growing in your faith is good, but it cannot be done unless you can trust the
person who trying to help you grow. I can trust Marty because he takes the time
to inquire about the other areas of my life that make me who I am. I feel like
this is something that can be applied to life as well. If you’re trying to help
someone with a business proposal at work or show someone the power and love of
Jesus Christ, you need to earn their trust first before you can be truly
effective. Once you’ve gained their trust, then they’re more inclined to not
only listen to you, but to believe you.
Something else Marty and I discussed in great deal was my
plans for this upcoming summer. I told him in full detail all I am planning to
do. Hang out with family and friends, spend lots of time working on new music,
countless hours in the gym, taking summer school classes at a community
college, and coaching a U13 travel baseball team. It’s going to be a busy
summer. Marty listened and when I concluded, he offered some advice. He warned
me that once summer kicks in and I have all these different things going on
that there will be significantly less structure in my life compared to when I
am at school. Marty said that it’s easy to lose track of God and not make time
for him when there isn’t structure. And Marty isn’t wrong. When I reflect on my
past, some of the times I’ve been farthest from God were when I had less
responsibilities and minimal structure in my life. This summer, my goal is
prioritize my relationship with Jesus, to not put God on the back burner, and
to make active strides in my faith journey. As always, I am greatly thankful
for someone like Marty who wants the best for me, and challenges me to become a
better man.
George,
ReplyDeleteI can resonate with losing track of my relationship with the Lord during the summer months when things are different than when I am at school. Changing my routine always throws me off and the last thing that I usually incorporate into my new schedule is my daily time with God. Having that structured time every day is important, and I think if you go into the summer with keeping up your relationship with God in the front of your mind, you will succeed in making that a priority. Good luck!
George,
ReplyDeleteMarty seems like a pretty awesome dude especially from what I have read in your previous posts. I also can relate to the advice Marty gave you about getting side tracked in the summer. It is good that you have a mentor that you can trust to discuss things like this with. It sounds like you will have a great summer and will be doing some fun things. Thanks for sharing.
Philip
George,
ReplyDeleteI think Marty seems like quite the knowledgeable mentor. I love the advice about staying focused from Marty. I know I need to lock it in at times. Getting sidetracked is so easy! Have fun this summer and do good things for the kingdom.
Tyler