The Mentoring Manifesto, Vol. 65: Your Unique Life Experience
A few years ago, I read about James Harrison, dubbed the “Man with the Golden Arm,” because he was a blood plasma donor of epic proportions. When he was 14, blood donations saved Harrison’s life, so he pledged to become a donor, donating his plasma an astonishing 1,173 times over sixty years.
Harrison’s blood composition contained unique disease-fighting antibodies, which doctors developed into an injection that helped stop rhesus disease, which causes a woman’s blood to attack the blood cells of her unborn child. Experts estimate his plasma saved the lives of 2.4 million unborn babies in Australia.
While you may or may not have special blood plasma, your unique life experience is of significant value to others. It’s an asset uniquely given to you. No one else has your experience. You’ve had some wonderful experiences, things you’ve learned, and stuff you’re proud of. But you’ve also had some painful experiences, self-inflicted wounds with collateral damage.
Just as James Harrison’s blood was uniquely equipped to impact the lives of those with rhesus disease, each of us, through our own life experience, is uniquely equipped to impact the lives of those a season or two of life behind us, to offer encouragement and perspective. It may just be the cure to providing “life to the full” for someone else.
Mentors, your experience matters. It can influence generations. The resources below will help you continue leveraging your life experience to help others learn and grow.
Breathe New Life Into Your Discipleship
Small group mentoring can help you engage your people, build your core group of leaders, and transform your church. Our free resources equip you with all the tools you need to launch a sustainable mentoring program.