First I'll start with this summer. I knew that as soon as I graduated from being in college for seven long years that I was going to enjoy this summer to the fullest. I wasn't going to worry about work and I didn't have to even consider planning for the fall semester because there wasn't going to be one. My first plan of action was the five weddings I'd been invited to. I had to plan for gas, hotels, how long I was staying, etc. Money for the whole summer was never going to be an issue since I had that saved up from the last couple co-ops I did. But that didn't mean I was going to book a five star hotel and be wined and dined like a king every night. And in case you didn't know, I love weddings. If I get invited, it'll take a lot for me to miss one. For example, for Paul and Sarah's wedding, I convinced my parents to change our vacation dates so I wouldn't miss the wedding.
The five weddings I attended were Timothy and Sarah (April), Cody and Angie (May), Sam and Mindy (June), Jeremiah and Michaele (July), and Ian and Shulamite (July). These five took me to Chicago, North Carolina, NYC, the Cleveland Metro Parks Zoo, and the beautiful shores of Vermillion, OH. To be at each one was a blessing. To witness and celebrate the unions of dear friends deeply in love, to reconnect and enjoy the company of people I haven't seen in years, and the memories gained to last a lifetime. In Chicago, I got to hang out and cruise around with David Wang (we shared a room), reconnect with Amarilis and Matt Grobie (Amarilis right away brought up the time she stayed at our house after jr high camp one summer), hang out with Timothy's friend Kyle (this dude was awesome), see Jesse and meet his wonderful girlfriend Lauren, and laugh at Sean's jokes in his speech. In North Carolina I got some much needed friend time with Paul and Sarah as well as Derek and his friend Ben. I got to spend time with the Hayslette and Asch clans. And we had a post wedding celebration from midnight-2am at Cody's parent's house with a bonfire (this was special as I made some great memories here in 2012). NYC I spent a week in and it was the #1 city on my bucket list. This was one of the best trips I've ever taken and there was so much about it that I wrote six blog entries on it (see my previous ones for the whole story). I had the privilege of being Jeremiah's best man, the next chapter in the continuing story of our awesome friendship. The zoo was an awesome setting and more great times were had with the Cleveland bros. Lastly, Ian and Shulamite's wedding also has a special place in my heart because of the number of people there that I haven't seen in awhile, that I spent the summer with, and the joy this wedding brought to many.
I also had the pleasure of celebrating Sam Chen's last days as an unmarried man in Austin, Tx. I got to meet some swell guys, explore the beautiful city of Austin, race uber fast go-karts, and check another state off the bucket list.
I'd also like to give a shout out to the five other couples who got married that I know and love. They are Mike and Sarah, Paul and Jessica, Karis and Erik, Hannah and Tim, and Enoch and Do Hee.
This summer allowed me to do everything I wanted and more. Along with the weddings, I had a blast serving the kids at Jr High Camp, got enriched hearing about the tabernacle at Vision Week, enjoyed the blessings that Mountain Top brings, got my inner child on at VBS, went to four Indians games in this amazing baseball season, saw Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood in concert, and spent a week in the great outdoors and hung out with family in Wisconsin. All told I traveled 8,259 miles this summer.
As the summer is nearing it's unfortunate end, it has given me more opportunities to go to one of my favorite places (Lakewood Park), sit on the solar steps, watch as the sun dips beneath the water, and release my thoughts. Now be forewarned, some of the things I write from here on out are raw, real, and untold.
The most recent thought is, to put it in baseball terms, a double play. It's heavy, it should be two thoughts on its own, but can be combined into one. Plus it brings joy to one side and pain to the other. Take that as you will. When I moved here, there was a core group of young people who welcomed me in and became more than friends to me. They became family. But as time went on and life went on, everyone took the next step in their life's journey after high school. Many moved for college, some went straight to work, and some took other routes. In that 4-6 year period, I couldn't help but feel a slight lack of completeness. People who I had seen and enjoyed life with 3-4 times a week I was now only seeing a handful of times a year. And in some cases, hardly ever due to the fact that they left for college, found work, followed their dreams, got married or basically chose to live there. Now I know it would be selfish of me to want them all to stay in one place and adhere to my realistic world, but that's not what I'm trying to portray at all. All I'm merely saying is that this is the part of life that is hard and these people matter to me dearly so not having them around as often stings from time to time,
The second part of this is that the Lord gave me a breath of fresh air near the end of my college years. He started bringing people to Cleveland. Some home from school and some for work, but it didn't matter to me because this group of people filled that small emptiness inside. Let me explain. It first started when a handful of us Cleveland guys started a bible study in Tim Chai's basement. That group originally consisted of Mark, Tim, Timothy, Sean, Seth, and Jesse. But then college grads were coming home and a lot of sisters were moving to Cleveland so we formed this large group. This group consisted of the above mentioned as well as John Chen, Jon Tzeng, Isaac Yeh, David Wu, Tim Watkins, Esther Miller, Sarah Watkins, Hannah Bontje, Grace Wang Madeline Fei, Erin German, Caitlin Sprau, and Sarah Michels (I apologize in advance if I forgot anyone. It's super late while I'm writing this and I should really go to bed but I can't). The thing so special about this group was not the fact that we came together to study the bible, but we were basically one big family. We hung out together, had fun holiday events together, had dinner together, and basically enjoyed life together. And with each person that moved here, they each brought friends that were really cool to meet and know and fit right in. Some of my favorite memories come from the times I shared with them...
...but now life has chugged along and things are once again different. The bible study no longer happens. Madeline is in Columbus furthering her education. Jesse is back in Chicago doing TFA. John got a job in Columbus. David is in Virginia per his Marine Corps. Grace just left for Boston/Harvard. Hannah got married and moved to the east side. Erin moved closer to where she teaches. And even though not everyone is leaving/moving/away, what I had with all this group together was a joy that will be missed.
The biggest reason why these thoughts and feelings come up so often is probably because I'm still single. Am I upset that I am? No. Am I concerned? Not yet. But being 25 and having that lack of companionship creates a bigger desire to be with friends more and more. Especially when you don't know when their career will move them away, when they'll get married and their family will be their major focus, or how long you or they have left on this earth. The flip side of the coin is I'm finally at that point where I'm in my 20s, done with school (hopefully for good), have zero student loans to worry about, and gone are the days of "you're too young", "you don't know what love is", "you have your whole life ahead of you", "wait until you are done with school", etc etc etc. So naturally, from those wiser in years who care about me, ask, joke, and suggest about who that "one" will be. I look at it this way. I'd like to be married by 30. So that means I have fourish years to take care of that (i'm almost 26). But that also means I have fourish years to continue exploring the world and try to find out what I really want to do with the rest of my life. I mean why worry? I've trusted the Lord for over 17 years, why stop now? This is is where faith is so crucial. And by this faith I know that whoever she is, she will be everything I need, everything I want, and more.
Congrats if you've made it this far. If you've ever read any of my writings (poems, stories, other works) you notice a trend. Most are not short. That's because my imagination, my desires, my dreams are so big that it is impossible for me to say what I'm trying to say in a short and sweet version. Even the intro to this next thought is a bit long, thus proving my point.
Now this next bit may rile some people up, some may see a certain word/name/topic and immediately block out what I'm actually saying and go straight to their arsenal of retorts...but for those that don't, for those that actually get what I'm trying to say and ignore the thoughts and ideas already implanted deep inside, I'll be forever grateful.
With the strength of social media, the power of the world wide web, and with the media playing a big part in how we think, how we act, and how we perceive what is truth, people are losing sight of what really matters. So much has happened in the past two years that stirs up people. That makes people do things they never did before. That turned the sane insane. So much so in fact that each month it seemed something different was all the rage. Each month new groups of people would rise up and let their voices be heard on what they believed is right. Each event cause different levels of chaos where friends were on opposite sides. Family members were split. Father against mother. Sister against brother. This, my dear friends, is the sad reality we live in. And it's all just...noise. It's annoying. Painful to listen to. Doesn't make sense. But yet we continue to listen. To try to figure it all out. When all we really need to do is tone it out. Because all it is doing is distracting us from what really matters.
Christ.
Imagine if people were as adamant for the gospel as they are at a political rally. Imagine if those voices proclaimed salvation instead of spew words of anger and hate. Imagine if instead of investing all our time and energy into who the next president should be, or who should be allowed in what bathroom, or tearing someone's head off for not putting their hand over their heart during the national anthem, we focused on offering people and Eternal hope. We strove for the Word to take root in the hearts of men. We just love Christ. Then nothing else truly matters.
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God."~Romans 13:1
"For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended."~Romans 13:3
"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."~1 Timothy 2:1-4
"And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again."~2 Corinthians 5:15
"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us,who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."~Romans 8:31-39
