Women’s History Month Tribute: Remembering the Women Who Mentored You

Article by Afi Pittman

March is women’s history month and in my heart I thought about the women who have mentored me. Specifically, the Titus 2 older woman came to mind. You’ll always have your mothers and other female family members. I know my mother’s prayers and belief in God was what kept me all my life. But I left home and have been on my own since 17, and I know now that my mother often prayed that God would place people in my path to see me through. I believe God answered her prayers because of the wonderful mentors and friends I’ve met along the way. Titus 2 women who sowed the love of God into my life.

One of the Titus 2 women in my life was Connie Turner. I met her in Okinawa, Japan while I was serving a 3-year overseas duty billet in the Navy. She was a vice-principal at a local DODDS school, a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, an adoptive parent of a young lady named Chinyere Turner, and a godly woman. Like me, she was a single woman – but she had a belief that God would fulfill the desires of her heart.

Although she poured into my life over those three years, there was one day in particular that she changed my life. She found out that I was traveling stateside to complete a class that I was taking and had me meet with her to pray for my safe travels. When we met, she anointed my head and hands with oil and prayed that my eyes and ears would be opened so that I could receive what God wanted me to learn. I went to my class and had a breakthrough. Not only did I learn a lot from the class. For the first time in my life, I learned for myself who God really was. It was like putting on spiritual glasses. Everything that was so unclear became clear.

The best part of that breakthrough is that I developed a hunger to know God for myself. I started reading the Bible and read material to amplify what I found there. God’s word literally came to life. Although my circumstances at the time had not changed, I had changed. I saw better coming in my spirit. So if you’ve never experienced the benefits of having this type of mentor in your life, here are a few ways you might be able to find one:

1) Start with your local church:
If your church has group setting where older women mentor younger ones, try it out. If your church doesn’t have that type of setting, start by just trying to meet other members, but if you don’t make a special connection that way, you can ask your church’s leadership if it’s possible to start this type of group.
2) Reconnect with an older woman who knew you well growing up:
She already knows you, but may just need to get to know how you’ve changed since the last time you all connected. She may also know other women who would be a good match for you as a mentor.
3) Try professional or civic organizations, or sororities:
Similar professional or personal aspirations always help to identify women who can understand at least where you are trying to go. They may be completely different in their personality, temperament or their cultural and life background. But if they are or have been where you are trying to go, they can always offer a different perspective but godly perspective.

If you’ve already benefited from these types of mentorship relationships, I’d love to hear about them. And if you’ve been a mentor I’d love to hear about that too. In the meantime, continue to thank God for the women in your life who took seriously God’s calling to mentor you.
Afi Pittman is an author and radio show host. She is also active duty Navy and has traveled the world and lived abroad. Her company, Author of Faith Enterprises helps today’s single Christian woman to “live right, love life and find Mr. Right”.

Contact Afi Pittman at:  http://www.authorofmyfaith.com