Boxed Discipleship

The first time I experienced "discipleship" I was a freshman in college; it was really the first time I had heard the concept of discipleship and began the process of meeting with someone once a week to learn and grow. It intrigued me and took a little bit of time to find a woman I clicked with, but once I did I was enormously blessed by the time and energy she poured into me and the opportunity to go deeper into matters of faith with her. I switched schools during my sophomore year and was not able to continue with the same woman or even the same campus group, but I kept looking for another mentor - another woman who would be willing to meet in that weekly manner to talk about Jesus and answer questions I had.
Yet, the next woman who had a huge impact on my life as a mentor did not do weekly meetings with me. We did not have a strict structure and routine to follow, but would talk for a while after I babysat her kids. I would ask her questions about how she handled life, kids, marriage, etc. and she shared with me openly and honestly about what she had learned. She prayed for me regularly and came by my side and supported me through many challenges.
She broke me outside this neat little box I had defined as "discipleship" and I am hesitant to go back. She taught me that being a Christian is not a boxed in activity, but something that permeates your whole life. She taught me that in any situation you can take time to teach others about Jesus, love others as Jesus did, and pray without ceasing.
Learning about Jesus is not a boxed endeavor that fits into a weekly mold, it is not something that can be turned on and off. Learning to follow Jesus is something that blossoms in the ordinary routine of life and the observations and gleaning from older, more mature Christians and seeking to apply those principles to every aspect of our life.