Do you remember in elementary or maybe middle school, the first assignment you received was to write about how you spent you summer? Even now, with a 1st grader, teachers are still asking that question. So, I decided to share some things I’ve done and learned over the summer.
I Did Nothing
Okay so not “nothing”, just very little compared to previous years. For the past few years, we’ve spent our summers chauffeuring the kids to summer camp, waiting for my husband to get out of summer school (my husband is a teacher), and spending very long road trips to visit family. Don’t get me wrong all of these things are great, but they are also exhausting! As they say, “I needed a vacation from my vacation”. When traveling with little kids, it can also be quite stressful. We decided we didn’t want to travel and risk exposure, as well as save money for any financial shortages that may arise during the year (programs that usually provide extra cash for us like after school tutoring and sports coaching will most likely be cut this year). So instead we spent our days reading with the kids, watching them ride their bikes and making sandcastles. It was good ole fashion quality time, where we just enjoyed each other and enjoyed being outdoors. And it was friggin awesome! My type of summer fun usually involves constant movement and changes of scenery. I’m usually worried about not making most of the time. I’ve learned I can truly enjoy myself doing very little, and that the best way to make the most of an experience is to mentally be at peace and present with those around you.
My husband and kids are naturally early risers. I am not. I generally have no desire to leave my house before noon. Apparently, I am not alone, as traffic and congestion in stores, beaches, parks, usually happens in the afternoon. During the pandemic, we have tried our best to maintain social distancing (especially in public places). So, to enjoy places like the beach, we would leave our home around 7ish and leave the beach before noon. And man was it awesome! Quiet, spacious, warm enough to enjoy the water, but cool enough to not burn your feet in the sand. I am officially an early morning convert. I will never go back.
After almost 7 years of wonderful fellowship, my husband and I left our church. Thankfully I can say it was not due to strife or scandal, but us responding to what we believe is God’s calling elsewhere. It doesn’t mean there were no tears involved. There were tears shed. A lot of tears. We will miss them dearly. However, I realized that our relationships with our former church family are strong and meaningful enough to continue beyond our membership. We’ve spent more quality time with some our church friends via zoom and over the phone this year than we did before quarantine. Relationships require intentionality. True friendships should go beyond the few hours we spend on Sunday together. COVID showed me where I was lacking in that area, but it also afforded me the time and resources (i.e. Zoom) to improve upon those relationships. So, while I will miss having an excuse to see them at least once a week, I know our friendships will continue because I now know what it takes to maintain them.
I grieved the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. I re-grieved all of the other police related deaths that happened before that. I grieved the apathy of some, and the misplaced angry reactions of others. I grieved the ways some have exploited the cause of justice for personal gain. I grieved when politics overshadowed people’s personal experiences and pain. But in the midst of it all, God has provided comfort. God sees, He understands, He cares. Justice is important to God. Black lives matter to God.
“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, and please the widow’s cause,” (Isaiah 1:17).
“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute,” (Psalm 82:3).
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
For such a long time, my career decisions were more pragmatic than passionate. Does it pay? Is there career advancement? Will I have time off for my kids? What’s the maternity leave policy? All of these things are super important, but I stopped asking myself “Do I like what I am doing?” I didn’t ask “Am I passionate about this? Am I called to do this?” Often times my husband would ask me what type of work I’d want to do when re-entering the work force. And I couldn’t answer him. All I could think of were things like 401k matching and flexible work schedules (my HR Benefits background rearing its pragmatic head). A lot of this was rooted in fear of lack and failure. Somehow in the midst of all that’s happening this year, God has given me the courage and fortitude to try new things. This summer I was able to launch this blog, something I’ve thought about for a long time now but didn’t think possible before. I am also studying for licensing in a new field that is totally out of my comfort zone. Stay tuned for more on that!
With so many unknowns on the horizon, this summer has provided such great opportunities to grow in faith with God. I am looking forward to what God is going to do in the Fall!
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