Hospitality, Friendship, Encouragement

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Encouragement and Mentoring in the Digital Age

 I was texting this afternoon and evening with a sweet niece of mine.  She is a wife and Momma of two delightful boys.  I love being in touch with her so easily and it is such a blessing to be able to encourage her.  She is blessed to have great parents and wonderful support from her husband, but it is also wonderful to talk to someone who has walked down the path you've chosen for your family.


I was thinking about how different this mentoring is than the kind I had when I was in my teens, and it is different than the mentoring I used to do.  In those "old" days you actually had to either talk on the phone or drive to meet up with them.  These days we can talk via Skype or Facetime and see each other face to face!  

So you may say, "Well, big deal.  I see my mentor every week."  For us that is not so easily accomplished.  She lives in a different state than I do.

I also have a few dear friends from church that live about an hour from my house.  Technology - Facebook, texting,  allow us to stay in touch and share needs.  If they need to run out of town to care for an elderly mother, or if they just need to hear "this too shall pass" we can be in touch quickly and encourage and pray for each other.

Another cool thing is keeping in touch with my roommate from Bible School.  She is a missionary now in West Africa and she has Facebook and email and she is able to communicate what is going on in her village.

I am so thankful for this.  

I know that technology can easily take over our lives and take up too much of our time.  There are times it is too important in my life.  And some folks do spend way to much time using it.  But the  next time I hear someone complaining about technology and it's over use, I am going to share the blessing that it can be as well.

It surely is for me, how about you?  



 

6 comments:

  1. I agree, technology of smart phones, Facebook & etc. are wonderful tools to stay in touch with friends & family. It is a blessing to share prayer requests & give encouragement to those in need.

    Smiles,
    Carol

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  2. I love, love this post! You have heard my heart on this. I have been mulling over this very subject and am seeking His heart about it..

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  3. It surely can be great...and it would be even better for me if I upgraded from my "stupid" phone. lol

    I was just talking to someone about this very thing. For the life of me I can't remember who, though....sigh.

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  4. I very much appreciate the blessings of our technology, though I certainly hear a lot of chatter about how evil it all is. Sigh.

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  5. Technology, hmmm. I try to spend one whole day a week off-line. But I'll admit: We listen to a little "old time radio" - Jimmy Stewart of the "Six Shooter" that Dean found "on-line." We watch some films "on-line" - a series of black & white Alan Lad movies this month - thrilling. We do some emails and a little internet shopping. AND I find it is pleasant to keep in touch with moms through blogging- giving encouragement and receiving it. Your encouragement, Deanna, is always refreshing to me.
    Thank you.
    Karen A.

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