Timmy* and I first started meeting when he was in 3rd grade. In those early weeks, all we did was play with Legos. He rarely made eye contact, but we chatted about Legos, sports, and school as we built houses, gardens, and more. I complimented him on his impressive builds and told him he might consider becoming an architect. At the end of our time together each week, he’d ask, “Will you be here next week?” And each week, I would respond, “Yes, I’ll be here next week.”

The weeks turned into months, and the months have now turned into years. Timmy’s question changed from “Will you be here next week?” to “Will you be here next year?” I knew my commitment to meeting with him finally sank in when I heard his friends ask about me, and he responded proudly that I’d be meeting with him until he graduates from high school. 

When we first started meeting, Timmy had a temper and a short fuse (likely why his counselor wanted a mentor for him), but he’s always been a sweet boy.

When one of his very competitive friends lost a race during field day, Timmy was the first to console him and provide words of encouragement. In 5th grade, I asked if he had any ideas for a project we could do together, and he asked if we could make something for his mom for Christmas. So, we made her some fragrance spray and body scrub.

Local Mentors Make an Impact

Timmy once asked me what I do for work. I told him I help churches to volunteer with schools, and that's how I got connected with him. He wanted to help and started listing out all of the churches he knew in the area, including the one he and his family attended. 

Timmy is now in 8th grade, and we still meet every week (via Zoom for now). He’s in an after-school leadership program, making good grades, and on his school’s football and basketball teams. He enjoyed his theater class last year and is now enjoying his cooking class. He also started his first year of Spanish this year. Whenever I ask him which class is his favorite, he says he likes all of his classes. 

A Blessing for All

Chatting with Timmy every Friday is one of the highlights of my week. I love hearing him become more eloquent over the years, but I also enjoy it when he gets excited and lapses into slang, most of which I can’t understand. We especially enjoy talking about his football and basketball games and practices, and it makes me grateful that I grew up with sports so we have some common language.

My personal theme verses for 2022 are Mark 12:30-31: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Meeting with Timmy allows me to put Mark 12:31 into practice every single week.

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*Name changed for privacy.

Marilyn Lee is the Executive Director of Loving Houston, an organization committed to helping churches serve local schools. She has education, corporate, nonprofit, and ministry experience, a BA in Economics and Asian Studies from Rice University, and an MBA from the University of San Francisco with a focus on nonprofit management and development economics, with the specific goal of mobilizing churches to join God in what He is doing in our communities. Marilyn and her husband Andy love to travel, play sports, and spend time with friends and family.

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