How to Make the Most of Accidental Mentors
Special Guest Post - Ben Sadler
My back is sore.
My knee aches.
And I’m tired.
I stare at my row machine, barbell, and bench.
I don’t want to lift.
Maybe I should go clean the toilets? Or how about getting a head start on my taxes? Anything but another backbreaking WOD (Workout of the Day).
It usually isn’t this bad. But on days like today, I’m thankful for my mentor/friend, Josh.
It all started in the parking lot during our son's football practice. My son, Jonah, and his son, Jackson were in the 6th grade, learning to put on their pads and make a proper form tackle.
Like the unseen power of a magnet, Josh and I were drawn together. We could tell that we both shared a fondness for fitness. So, one week we both brought our bikes and put on a few miles while our sons practiced. I liked to lift weights, and I was just starting to hear about (what some people call) the cult of CrossFit. It just so happened that Josh was a card-carrying member. So the following week, we brought weights, row machines, and a barbell.
We chuckled at the other parents, rolling their eyes at the two men who must be going through a middle-life crisis. Why else would we be slamming weights in the parking lot?
Our boys are now in high school and they no longer play on the same football team, but Josh and I are still pushing each other. Each day, we send each other a workout. It usually consists of some kind of cardio and some kind of resistance training. Our score is how quickly we complete the workout. Whoever wins gets a trophy emoji sent to their phone. Normally, we workout separately in our garages, but about once a month, I will make the trip to Josh’s house in an effort to beat him on his own turf. Over the past four years, we have competed at least four days a week with only a handful of exceptions.
This relationship has worked for a number of reasons:
Josh is a little older than me and has more experience in CrossFit, so I’m motivated to learn from him.
He is a better athlete and in better shape, so I’m constantly adapting my diet, sleep, and skills so that I can catch him. And every once in a while I do.
We are both committed to competing and the camaraderie it brings. We don’t want to lose, nor do we want to let the other person down.
This mentoring relationship seemed to fall like manna from heaven. I was not asking or looking for a workout partner, but God gave me this gift. Now, I’m doing my best to make the most of it. And so, even on days like today, when I don’t want to workout, I stretch, breath, set my timer, and push myself to compete. I thank him, even when he picks a WOD that puts me on the brink of cardiac arrest.
I don’t want to workout today, but I’m so glad I did, and that’s because of my mentor, Josh.
Is God opening up a similar door for you? Is that man in the coffee shop sitting there because he is your accidental mentor? Is there a casual friend who is a decade ahead of you in experience? Maybe he is starving for the opportunity to pass on his wisdom.
God knows that you will remain stuck in your ministry, business, health, and fitness if you go it alone. And so maybe today he is putting a partner in your path. Will you see it? Will you take advantage of this gift from heaven? Will you make the most of this accidental mentor?
Ben Sadler serves as pastor at Victory of the Lamb Church in Franklin, Wisconsin. You can read more of his writing at https://medium.com/@pastorbensadler
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