General Armstrong
Somebody that Booker T looked up to a lot and speaks about a lot with admiration in this book is General Samuel Armstrong, who Booker describes as a great man: "The noblest, rarest human being that it has ever been my privilege to meet. And never met any man who, in my estimation, was the equal of General Armstrong. I never saw a man who so completely lost sight of himself. I do not believe he ever had a selfish thought."
He was a teacher at the school that Booker T was at, and he said that if they'd taken all the buildings and chairs and tables and classrooms away, but they just had the opportunity to be in contact with General Armstrong, that would have been education enough. He seems to be a great man.
The Power of a Godly Mentor
And it struck me that someone as respected and successful as Booker T Washington had a mentor, somebody that he respected and looked up to and learned a lot from. Who can you thank God for today? Who's your General Armstrong? Somebody who taught you, embodied godly character for you - a parent, maybe an aunt or uncle, a teacher, a minister, a friend.
Well, if you have the opportunity to, why don't you send them a message today or give them a call and just say thank you for the impact they've had.
Becoming Someone Else's Mentor
Maybe if it's too late for that, you can just say thank you in prayer, and then consider this: who might look at you as their General Armstrong, as their mentor, whose spiritual guide? Be the type of person about whom someone can write, “that was the noblest, rarest human being that I've ever met.”
