Men of Iron Podcast

A Key Aspect of Mentorship is Availability with Garret Barbush (EP. 264)

“Mentorship isn’t that hard, it’s just about making yourself available to others.” – Garret Barbush

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This week we begin The Restoration Series with Garret Barbush, sharing stories of lives changed. For 12 years Garret was the CEO of Men of Iron, leading the organization and building a strong foundation for where Men of Iron is today. Garret grew up in the church and accepted Christ at an early age. At the age of 9, at a Royal Rangers camp, Garret felt the presence of the Holy Spirit for the first time. Responding to an altar call, he heard God say to him, “I’m going to use you in a big way.” Despite decades of turmoil and counseling working through the trauma of sexual abuse and molestation at an early age, Garret looks back at this moment at Royal Rangers as instrumental in his faith journey.

As a younger sibling, Garret always struggled with feeling like he had to “measure up” to what his siblings had done.

“That became my mentality with my faith, I have to earn God’s respect, I have to earn God’s love. I had this warped reality of who God was, that God wasn’t my Father, I just had to impress Him.”

In college is when Garret started to take on his faith as his own. Garret credits a college professor, Doctor Shane Johnson as the first man in his life who showed him what it meant to be a man. “He was harsh, he was firm but it was always the truth.” This was a major turning point in Garret’s life, that woke him up to the fact that he wasn’t living the right way.

Mentorship isn’t that hard, it’s just making yourself available to others, Doc Johnson made himself available to Garret. In 2011, on his honeymoon, Garret felt an overwhelming sense from God that something was going to change. Later in 2011 the Founder of Men of Iron, Garret’s brother-in-law Bryan, approached Garret to lead Men of Iron as the CEO. As soon as Garret made this move God anointed him with this passion for men getting it right, and leading their families well.

Mentorship changed Garret’s life and he wants to provide that to as many men as possible. He believes that mentorship is so vital, because as men we screw it up on our own. “You can find someone that has more knowledge and experience, they’ve been there and done that.” There is so much we can glean from mentorship, but we have to take a posture of humility and say I don’t have it figured out but I’m willing to do what it takes. Mentors see something in us that we don’t see them in ourselves.

Regardless of where you are in your journey, we have the tools and experiences for you. We provide one-to-one coaching, small group, and retreat curriculum. To know God is an adventure, and we are calling all men to conquer the mountain ahead of us. Men, it’s time to climb! >>> MENOFIRON.ORG/THECLIMB

SHOW NOTES:

• • This week we begin The Restoration Series with Garret Barbush, sharing stories of lives changed
  • This 5-part series gives us a glimpse into the lives of 5 different men and their stories of restoration
  • Garret is married to his wife Eden, they reside in Manheim, PA with their 3 kids
  • Garret is the Director of People Engagement and Support at Warfel Construction in Central, PA
  • For 12 years Garret was the CEO of Men of Iron and helped build a strong foundation for the future of the organization
  • Garret grew up in the church and accepted Christ at an early age in kid’s church
  • A pivotal moment in Garret’s faith journey he responded to an altar call at a Royal Rangers Pow Wow camp at the age of 9
  • “Even at a young age I knew I wanted to commit my life to Jesus, I felt the Holy Spirit.”
  • At that camp he heard God say to him, “I’m going to use you in a big way.”
  • This was a foundational moment for Garret in his faith journey
  • A traumatic part of Garret’s story is experiencing sexual abuse and molestation at an early age
  • “Even though I had a lot of counseling and turmoil to work through, that moment at Royal Rangers was instrumental in my life.”
  • As a younger sibling, Garret always struggled with feeling like he had to “measure up” to what his siblings had done
  • His older siblings were successful in sports and academics, and he thought that’s what he had to be
  • Garret had this mentality that he was going to set goals and do whatever he could to accomplish those goals
  • “That became my mentality with my faith, I have to earn God’s respect, I have to earn God’s love.”
  • “I had this warped reality of who God was, that God wasn’t my Father, I just had to impress Him.”
  • In college is when Garret started to look at his faith on his own
  • “I’m trying to be this man that God designed me to be but i’m still doing all this partying and excess stuff on the side.”
  • Garret lived in constant turmoil, never content, never at peace
  • An instrumental mentor in his life was a college professor and pastor, Doctor Shane Johnson
  • Doc Johnson was the first man in Garret’s life who showed him what it meant to be a man
  • “He was harsh, he was firm but it was always the truth.”
  • This was a major turning point in Garret’s life, that showed him he wasn’t living the right way
  • Doc Johnson made himself available, he was busy as a husband, father and leader but still had time to mentor others
  • Mentorship isn’t that hard, it’s just making yourself available to others
  • In 2011, on his honeymoon, Garret felt an overwhelming sense from God that something was going to change
  • “I prayed to God that I will do anything you want me to do, but you have to bring it to me.”
  • Later in 2011 the Founder of Men of Iron, Garret’s brother-in-law Bryan, approached Garret to lead Men of Iron as the CEO
  • “My wife Eden immediately told me, this is what you’ve been praying for, this is what God is calling you to.”
  • As soon as Garret made this move God anointed him with this passion for men getting it right, and leading their families well
  • “Mentorship changed my life and I want to provide this to as many men as possible.”
  • That was kind of the foundation of Men of Iron and how it all got started
  • Garret believes that mentorship is so vital, because men screw it up on our own
  • “You can find someone that has more knowledge and experience, they’ve been there and done that.”
  • There is so much we can glean from mentorship, but we have to take a posture of humility and say I don’t have it figured out but I’m willing to do what it takes
  • Mentorship is about not just sitting back and learning from another man, but hearing that information and taking action
  • Mentors see something in others that they don’t see them in themselves
  • “There are things you have to give up to be the man God is calling you to be.”
  • Men fall into one or two camps, action oriented or passive, deep thinkers
  • If you are more action oriented my advice is to slow down, find solitude and rest
  • If you are more passive, my advice is to quit thinking so much and get moving, make a decision
  • Garret’s encouragement to men is to:
    • Get into God’s Word – it’s not a daily checkbox, slow down and learn who God is
    • Make prayer and journaling a major emphasis in your life
  • “You are either hurting or helping somebody that’s hurting.”
  • We would love to be a resource for you, contact us today – menofiron.org/contact-us
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