3 Life Crisis Mentors You Need to Meet
Who do you turn to when facing tough times?
When I am in any crisis, my first thought is: Who do I know who has walked through this before, and how quickly can we get together to talk? Because I want to know a.) what should I expect, and b.) what should I do, and c.) how long it's going to last. I'm a planner and a doer, so those are my questions. And I need someone who knows what lies ahead. I need a mentor.Mentors can hold a flashlight up to light the way through unfamiliar territory. So why not have a Life Crisis Mentor? Great idea, right? But sometimes, we look around and there may not be anyone who fits the bill. Then what can we do?
Meet 3 Life Crisis Mentors who helped me.
Life Crisis mentors don't need to be up close, personal and in the flesh. They can be authors--people who've been there, who have studied situations like yours, and have written about pain, suffering, loss and life crises of all kinds. Let me share three of my favorites:If you've known me for any length of time, you know I love the book by Randy Alcorn, "If God is Good, Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil." You can buy it here. Randy explains frustrating questions like why do bad things happen to good people, or, why does God allow horrific disasters like typhoons? Alcorn's thoughtful and compassionate book requires some time to work through, because it's not a quick read--but so worth your time.Another mentor-author who was very helpful to me is Dr. J. Robert Clinton, who wrote "The Making of A Leader." You can buy that here. Dr. Clinton helped me make sense of my life when Bill was sick, and showed me the spiritual angle of our trials. He gives real-life examples of people who have suffered well and with courage--sometimes for years. He shows clearly how God brings meaning and purpose into our suffering. Our suffering is not pointless.My last author-mentor is Dr. Timothy Keller. Besides being the founding pastor of a vibrant church in New York City, and a prolific writer, Dr. Keller is from Pennsylvania--reason enough for reading his books. His latest is called simply, "Walking with God through Pain and Suffering." I haven't completed it, but already I love it. His book is divided into three parts: the philosophical angle of suffering; the spiritual, or biblical, view of suffering; and the practical--read: compassionate--view of suffering. My favorite part so far is when he recounts the fiery furnace story from Daniel--that God is with us in the fire. I need to finish this post so I can keep reading it! You can buy it here.So here's my Sullivan tip of the day: we don't have to blindly stumble through dark times alone. These 3 author-mentors can hold up the flashlight for you, just as they did for me.