Summer Vacation? Naw!

Since being in EA, summer has been that one temporary hope and reprieve from the normal grind of life. I treasure these two months that I have off and I wanted to share with you my goals and expectations for this season (other than avoiding the heat and the rainstorms).

It definitely feels good to put another school year in the books. This was definitely a trying year with the students and I was looking forward to this break. But it was also filled with many opportunities to be a witness and to be an “older brother” of sorts to some of the students. It reminded me of how important it is to be an example and a witness to the younger generation. Some come from a C-background, but are not surrounded by quality witnessing.

With the completion of the semester, I had to make a quick change in mindset and expectation since I was going to be staying at home more, especially with Corrie’s birth. Let’s just say that the first two days of my new found freedom were very rocky. The change in routine and the realization of being with my two boys all the time definitely caused a lot of stress. But by God’s grace (and Jen’s patience), I was able to shift gears and adjust accordingly. There’s no off/on switch with being a parent. Pretty much forfeited that switch when Haddon entered our family.

As many of you know, we also welcomed Corrie Temperance Han into the world over the weekend. Jen and I were joking over the week (especially after Jen’s mom came) about how we were impatiently waiting for her to come out. For Jen, it was to be relieved of the extra weight while walking in the summer heat and to not be so achy all the time. But for me, I was more excited to experience what it means to have a daughter. Since having sons has been such a sanctifying experience, I’ve been curious as to what it will be like to raise a daughter. To be honest, my biggest worry was diaper changes. I’ve never had to change a girl’s diaper before and I just didn’t want to do a bad job that might hurt Corrie. It sounds, and is, pretty dumb. If Jen recorded me changing Corrie’s diaper the first time, it would’ve been one of those SMH moments.

But more importantly, I’m excited to raise a daughter. I’m excited to hopelessly match her clothes in the morning. I’m excited to test the boundaries of my hair tying skills. I’m super excited to live life with her and teach her everything that I’ve been taught.  It’s going to be a handful trying to manage and lead a family of personalities that range from the eccentric to the unknown, but I do pray that all this will be done by God’s grace.

A big cause of conflict in my heart and mind was probably the time I planned out to spend on catching up on reading. Due to the busyness of work, the other work, and family life, I can only find small pockets of time to read for leisure, enrichment and development. So whenever summer break comes, I’m keeping in mind books that I want to read. This summer, it feels like it will be a D. Martyn Lloyd Jones-centric reading list.  The goal is to finish reading Lloyd-Jones’s book on the Sermon on the Mount and Iain Murray’s biography on Lloyd-Jones.

Reading MLJ’s book on the Sermon on the Mount has been a refining time. The book is hitting me on so many different levels. Whether it is the challenge of matching my identity with my life, the call for holy distinction in context of my surroundings, or just the application points that I’m led to think about, this book is giving me a renewed focus on the faith I have and desire to declare.

One particular section of the book that caught my attention the past few days is Matthew 5:6. I was particularly challenged by this quote from MLJ:

Initially, this quote made me reflect on the various decision I made in the past to not associate or to spend time with certain people because of their negative influences. But I began to think more deeply and began to realize that it is not just about the crowd or place you hang out with, this is also addressing any attitudes or reactions I can give that are opposed to such a righteousness.

 It is very easy to react sinfully while living here. Whether dealing with the unfamiliar or the inconsistencies (i.e. elevators being shut off randomly when you have a baby stroller, or people cutting in front of you to get into an elevator while you have a baby stroller…), there is no excuse to act unrighteously.

Another book that I’m hoping to get through before the summer ends is “The Two Views on Women in Ministry” as part of the Counterpoints series by Zondervan. I wanted to read this book to expand my understanding on this topic, especially since this is something that I’ve faced and experienced in my life. It’s no longer just truths or facts; there are faces to people who believe in both views. I have a vested interest in reading this book. This one will probably be a slower read, but I’m definitely looking forward to reading and learning more about the other view.

Overall, the summer vacation is only a month and a half long. To be honest, I doubt I’ll be able to accomplish everything that I laid out. Maybe half? But in the end, the goal is to be refreshed and enriched so the work can continue on.