Sad Story Essay
Sarah
We moved to a small town where my husband was assigned as aminister to a local congregation. I was unpacking one day when thephone rang. A voice on the other end said, "Your name was given tome as a possibility for a mentor in our school." Knowing very few peoplein town, I tried to imagine who might have volunteered me for this.Realizing the lady was waiting for an answer, I replied, "Let me thinkabout it and call you back."I returned to my unpacking, but my mind was busy going over all thereasons I couldn't be a mentor. I wasn't even a parent, so how couldI work with kids. I wouldn't know what to do. I don't really have thetime. What if the child didn't like me? My list of excuses (uh, I meanreasons) was growing by the minute and I did a pretty good job oftalking myself out of it.
Suddenly a thought entered my mind. Connie, do you remember all thepeople that have taken time for you over the years? I knew this hadcome from God, certainly not from me, as I was too busy being selfishat the time.
Faces of family, friends, teachers, and coworkers crossed my mindand all that they'd sacrificed to help me. I was a shy child and Godplaced many loving, patient people along my life's journey. He knewwho I would need at various points to help me through that particularperiod of my life. Could I do any less for someone else?
I was still hesitant, but placed a call to the school and agreed to bea mentor. The lady in the office said, "I have a fourth grade girl whoreally needs some help. Just sign in at the school office and we askthat you come one hour each week." The only other things I knew wereher name, Sarah, and that she came from a poor home situation.
I was nervous as I arrived for our first mentoring session. I was shownto Sarah's classroom and introduced to her. A room down the hall wasavailable for us to meet in and off we went. I sensed this was going tobe a "long" hour. Nothing prepared me for what happened that day.
Wanting to put Sarah at ease, I said,
We moved to a small town where my husband was assigned as aminister to a local congregation. I was unpacking one day when thephone rang. A voice on the other end said, "Your name was given tome as a possibility for a mentor in our school." Knowing very few peoplein town, I tried to imagine who might have volunteered me for this.Realizing the lady was waiting for an answer, I replied, "Let me thinkabout it and call you back."I returned to my unpacking, but my mind was busy going over all thereasons I couldn't be a mentor. I wasn't even a parent, so how couldI work with kids. I wouldn't know what to do. I don't really have thetime. What if the child didn't like me? My list of excuses (uh, I meanreasons) was growing by the minute and I did a pretty good job oftalking myself out of it.
Suddenly a thought entered my mind. Connie, do you remember all thepeople that have taken time for you over the years? I knew this hadcome from God, certainly not from me, as I was too busy being selfishat the time.
Faces of family, friends, teachers, and coworkers crossed my mindand all that they'd sacrificed to help me. I was a shy child and Godplaced many loving, patient people along my life's journey. He knewwho I would need at various points to help me through that particularperiod of my life. Could I do any less for someone else?
I was still hesitant, but placed a call to the school and agreed to bea mentor. The lady in the office said, "I have a fourth grade girl whoreally needs some help. Just sign in at the school office and we askthat you come one hour each week." The only other things I knew wereher name, Sarah, and that she came from a poor home situation.
I was nervous as I arrived for our first mentoring session. I was shownto Sarah's classroom and introduced to her. A room down the hall wasavailable for us to meet in and off we went. I sensed this was going tobe a "long" hour. Nothing prepared me for what happened that day.
Wanting to put Sarah at ease, I said,