It wasn't too long ago in the midst of the craziness of youth ministry that my wife gets a call from one of the teens. "Hey do you think Andrew would be available to do some tutoring with me." My wife didn't commit me to anything and said I'd get back to them. 
I have nothing against tutoring and maybe I would be good at it, but something groaned on the inside when she relayed the message to me. I tried to figure out which course this teen was going to be struggling with and wondered if I had the wherewithal to even handle being a tutor for it.
I could just picture a math teacher saying in a demeaning manner, "…and who showed you how to do it that way?" I do like to help teach students learn to play instruments and have dedicated a good many hours a week to our two youth bands, but I honestly didn't think I had enough time in the week or enough mental energy to do some "tutoring". I asked myself, "Why couldn't they just ask an older student or a teacher for extra help?!"
Realizing (with a gentle hammer blow from God) that I had a case of the bad attitudes instead of the beatitudes, I decided to approach this with a little more sensitivity then just a simple "NO!!"
The time arrived and we were at a youth outing and along comes said Mr. Man. With a big grin he asks the question I've been only slightly dreading. "Hey Pastor Andrew, if you have any time do you think you could tutor me?" I smiled and was about to shut him down when I get that familiar God nudge and politely ask him, "Oh, uhmm. what subject did you need tutoring in, because I'm not that great in Math…" (notice the excuses being made already … /facepalm)
His answer astounded me. "You know," he answered, "all that God stuff. I need some tutoring about the big guy." If my jaw hadn't been attached it would have dropped to the floor.
My brain was a furious storm, "WELL DUH!?!?!?!" I had forgotten that this young man hadn't received ten years of post secondary education and that the word mentoring and accountability partner hadn't even come close to his vocabulary. All he knew was that he needed someone to come along side him and tutor him. Pretty accurate if you ask me.
I almost missed it because I didn't take the time to understand what was really being asked! I pray that I would have the tongue and ears of the learned.
We are now "tutoring" weekly.
Oh! By the way, he's a great tutor… I'm learning a lot.
Isaiah 50:4,5 (NKJV)"The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. he awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened my ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.