Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were a blessing and Jesus was glorified. I’m excited to start off the New Year with a Book Giveaway Drawing for Janet Thompson’s newest book Mentoring for all Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness.
Don’t let the word “mentoring” throw you. You are a mentor and a mentoree whether you know it. You share with others what you’ve learned and you learn from others what they share. Janet’s book will bless you and I’ll share below how to put your name into the drawing. And here in her guest post you’ll gain some wisdom to encourage you. So read on!
Janet’s latest book
When You Don’t Like Your Life Season
by Janet Thompson
We’ve all heard, “You’re just in a season, it will pass.” But what do you do until then . . . or worse . . . it never passes?
Good and pleasant life seasons are wonderful and it’s easy to think God couldn’t possibly want what we perceive as a bad or unpleasant season for us. Right!? Yet, Ecclesiastes 4:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
We try so hard to hold onto those feel-good seasons, and there’s nothing wrong with that—we should have times of joy, dancing, laughing, loving, and peace. But when the not-so-good times roll, we need to remember that God hasn’t left us. He’s walking right beside us through the mourning, weeping, uprooting, and war seasons.
God never abandons His children—a message we need to share with each other and with the culture, especially during today’s challenging times. TWEET THAT!
Reasons for Not Liking our Life Season
Usually we don’t like a life season because:
- It’s painful or uncomfortable.
- We’re jealous and like what someone else’s life looks like more than our own life.
- We’re living with the consequences of our, or someone else’s, behavior or decisions.
- We’re discontent or discouraged.
- We’re not sure if God still cares about us.
What would you add to the list?
We all have difficult seasons we just want to end. Or maybe we’re in a wonderful season we never want to end. Most seasons we have no control over, even though advertisers set us up to fail by assuring if we just drink, eat, use, own, the right products, or meet the right people, every season will be heavenly. The aging clock will stop and somehow God made our life to be different from everyone else’s life.
But that’s a lie and those who buy into it will never be content because everything God lists in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is a season everyone will experience.
What to Do
The first thing to do when we don’t like our life season is ask God how He wants us to deal with it, and then listen carefully to how the Holy Spirit answers. It’s that still small voice we hear guiding us when we cry out to God. We might not know how to get through the season, but God does. He’s often talking but we’re not listening.
A Christian was asked how he knew what God wanted. Did he have a direct line to God? I thought,”Yes he does! Every Christian has a direct line to God the world doesn’t understand, and one we don’t use nearly enough: praying to Jesus who hears every word and the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us even when all we can do is groan.”
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27
Next, seek out a Christian woman who has experienced this season and can mentor you in how she made it through like only someone who has been-there-done-that can. Incredible comfort comes from spending time with a mentor who understands your painful season!
God doesn’t want us going through any season alone; but He also doesn’t want us listening to anyone who isn’t giving us biblical wisdom. That’s why in Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness,, every season has Scripture for the mentor and mentee, or for any two women, to study together that applies to the various issues they might experience in any life season.
Being a mentor doesn’t mean you have all the answers or the Bible memorized. TWEET THAT!
It simply means you’re willing to share your experiences, search God’s Word, and pray together with another woman. Then one day, she can reach out and help lift up someone else going through a similar season. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Thank you, Janet, for sharing with us. I’ve learned so much from you over the years. I praise God for your ministry.
What have you found helpful in being a “mentor”? And what attitude on the part of being a “mentoree” have you found important to receive the wisdom another can share with you?
To be entered into the drawing to win Janet’s book, make any comment in the comment section of my blog or write me directly: KathyCollardMiller AT gmail DOT com. I will draw the winner on Sunday evening Jan 14th. (I’m sorry that only those with US addresses can win.)
Janet Thompson
Janet Thompson is a speaker and author of nineteen books, the founder of Woman to Woman Mentoring and About His Work Ministries. Her latest release is Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness. Visit Janet at www.womantowomanmentoring.com where she writes a weekly blog and monthly newsletter.
I think it’s hard to think of yourself as being a mentor when you still feel you need mentoring yourself. Even if you’ve been a lifelong Christian. But with His grace and mercy all things are possible.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I think we all feel that to some degree. I’m so glad the Lord is so gracious to use us at whatever level we are and with whatever we have learned. Because then any results are to His glory and not because we were so competent or perfect. Yet I’m confident He has used you more than you realize. Thank you for sharing with us and for putting your name into the drawing.God bless you lots!
Thank you for this! What an encouragement and wonderful reminder this post is!
Thank you for responding and reading, Candice. I know you are very busy. I’m so glad the post was meaningful for you. God bless you!
Thanks for giving us a chance to win.
Noelle, great to hear from you and I’ve put your name into the drawing. Thank you!
I have the amazing privilege of serving as mentor to several younger women who are pursuing missionary service. I often feel like I have little to offer and that I must be the one who benefits the most from our relationships as we simply seek to follow Christ together.
Thank you for stopping by, Renee. Great to connect with you again. How fabulous that the Lord uses you in that way. And I know that feeling of being used and yet wondering how God did it–because we certainly don’t have anything to give! So I’m praising the Lord for you mentoring those gals even though you have those feelings. Isn’t wonderful when they thank us and we feel like, “Why? You blessed me!!!!” Thank you for posting and for putting your name into the drawing.
As a mentor, my goal is to have the mentee follow and depend on Christ and not follow and depend on me. I’ll pray with her, encourage her, walk with her, but the end goal is not to become my clone, but to become like Christ. Thanks for the great post. I’d love to read Janet’s book!
Elaine, that is a very very important point and it’s so wise to be aware to avoid cloning! Pointing to Christ as their help, tower of strength, and everything they need can be a challenge because often they want someone “with skin on.” So I’m sure you have much to offer of how to point them to Christ while being used by Him as His representative. I’ve put your name into the drawing. Thank you again for “being here” at my blog.
Great, informational blog post. I am going to share it with a cousin who needs to know and remember that God is the only one who truly leads, guides, and directs her in life. Thanks!
Hi Dawn, I’m so glad you found the post informative. And thank you for sharing it with your cousin. I’m sure you’ve had a wonderful impact in her life. I’ve put your name into the drawing!
I have had many friends who are 20 or 30 years older than me. People assumed they were my mentors. That was an aspect of our friendship but it was mutual. They passed on wisdom to me. However, I was also able to give them insight into the younger generation and technology. All friendships are mentors-we sharpen one another.
Debbie, those are the perfect kind of relationships where the giving and receiving goes both ways. I’m sure your friends were so blessed by your “gifts” of insights and I know you were enriched by theirs. Thanks for putting your name into the drawing. Janet’s book is indeed a blessing and encouragement.
Wow, after reading your blog and the comments, I really thought about the value of a mentoring relationship, whether a friendship, a marriage, or parenting. When we share the wisdom God gives us, and when we receive the same from others, growth keeps happening! Would love to read the book. XOXOXO
Deb, thank you for reminding us that there are many different kinds of mentoring–even a marriage! And especially parenting. I’m so glad you stopped by and I’ve put your name into the drawing. God bless you, dear sister in Christ.
WOW perfect timing!!! I am really focusing on mentoring this year!!! Would love to win this!!!
Hi Nicci, I’m so glad you’re excited about Janet’s book. i’ve put your name into the drawing and even if you don’t win it, I hope you’ll purchase it. That’s so cool that you are focusing on mentoring!
I love the process of mentoring but my hardest thing is finding someone who is teachable and interested in a mentoring relationship! Asking Father for the next woman – and asking as well, to find someone who can teach me, too!
Love you, Kathy!
Hello Auntie Marcia, (I know who you are!). I know you are always mentoring and reaching out where God has you. And yet you are right. It is a challenge to find the teachable and hungry for spiritual growth. And I am sad that at times I have been resistant to being the one mentored. So thank you for reminding all of us to have a teachable heart and to always be on the lookout, led by God, for those who are willing to learn. I’ve put your name into the drawing. Thank you for your faithful work for the Kingdom.