Would you like some Soul with your Tea?

-excerpts from “A Dissertation of the traveling teacup”

“Normally people have three walks of life, and they seem to chose this walk of life right around the mid-point between their being a teenager and an graduated adult. I specify ‘graduated adult’ from ‘adult’ because I cannot honestly say that those some consider to be adults are any better than a three year old child. Yet the most important decision in life can readily be seen becoming cemented around age 15-17.

The three paths in life are as follows, and are very basic to the point of many people overlooking their importance altogether: extreme (or exotic), normal, or wasteful. The first is what I’d rather speak on, as it is the life of my own choice, but then again I find it might be more helpful to talk on the other two in context of the first, even though I might be less knowledgeable on the latter two.

A normal life by the account of Americans is one where you spend thirteen years in a school or number of schools to which will be added a further 5 years (on average), of advanced schooling. On the whole, the majority of those coming out of this 18 year transformation would’ve been no more educated than had they quit school at grade 8. After said advanced schooling, a trade is taken up to which a person will limit themselves to until they are to the age where usefulness is seemingly a thing of the past. There they will sit and drink tea, much as I’m doing now, until they are carted off to a nursing care until they have expelled their years of unusefulness. Throughout this period you might easily categorize the vast majority of these people to be ‘wishful thinkers,’ thinking upon times gone by and upon things they might have done.

The wasteful life is one which I may prove to have the least knowledge of, for even in my own wasteful times, I can very well say that myself as a person was not bent upon such an end. But it is indeed quite possible that those who are indeed wasteful are actually people who somehow believe themselves to have an exotic life without having to work for one nor benefit from one. These are the types who look for all sorts of alternatives to life, such as drugs and alcohol to name a few. But then there are also extremes that actually believe their own wastefulness and seek to end their life, and supposed suffering. Now this is not to say there are those who do not have legitamite problems, that can indeed be named suffering. But this is not to say that these kinds of people cannot adopt a different nature and succeed despite their background. In short, a wasteful life is either one who ignores their wastefulness and doesn’t seek to change their life, or they embrace it whole-heartedly to the point of self-detriment.

An exotic life then is simply the changing of ones attitude, and not something that depends upon circumstances.

For instance…consider those who have come before myself. One such young man being a cripple. He wished to become a potter. His upbringing, a very poor one and not at all meriting such a person as he came out to be. But knowing himself that he had a God-given talent for pottery much as someone else in our own age has a talent for singing, he then undertook any study he could to come up with his own desired end. He did not expect his parents to believe he would become a world-famous potter, he simply enjoyed the art and sought to do his best in that which he loved himself.

Life then might be likened to a cup of tea. Each kind of man likes the cup of tea his own way. I like mine with a bit of soul in it, so I find tea from those who enjoy making it the most and put a good effort into it. I might pay a bit more for it, but I enjoy my cup of tea much more because I like tea more than an average man. Same with life, I might be one to expect more out of it, because as I said, my attitude is not to accept normality and/or a wasteful life. In this way I believe more men might very well be able to live as I do, only they choose not to at a very young age and then grow up not believing it possible.

I would ask them ‘why not?’ But I doubt they could prove their innocence any more than I can prove that I enjoy my cup of tea any more than the man beside me.”

-excerpts from “A dissertation of the traveling teacup”

One thing the funeral missed...

Perhaps it's just me, or perhaps it's the fact that I talked to Josh about this during the summer when we worked together. But I think the funeral was far too focused on sorrow. I realize that people need to work out their sorrows, but one thing that Josh and I had both talked about was how we wanted people to keep going with their lives after we're done. He and I both agreed that we wanted to be remembered for how much we could praise God, but we didn't want people to be stuck on remembering.

One thing they missed in the funeral is how to continue after our grief. He never wanted it to be any more than a little while. It's odd now looking back on how we joked about it, unknowing what would happen. But I know that he was as sincere about this as I was. I can't remember the exact week he said it, but I know we were talking about it as a result of chapel on the east side of Camp Barakel.

We agreed that we wanted our funerals to be more of a happy occasion. Grieve for a bit, and then go on and praise God all that much more. So many paths will come into our own, and so many will also leave. That's a given in life, but it's what we do to praise God with our own lives that makes all the difference. Josh and I agreed on this in the knowledge that we would both live on for a long time. I doubt he would mean this any less even considering now.

Next Step

I apologize for this being later than the last two. These past couple of weeks have not been easy for me as far as thinking goes. I've been thinking so much about what I should do next that it's like everything I think to say somehow just isn't doing it right.

Living as a true Christian for God is more than something to say. As a Christian we mean more than the average person, or at least we should. If there's ever something within the body that is needed it's people who are willing to stand up to their peers, Christian and non-Christian alike, and speak the truth of God. And on that note, I know of many who think that Christian's "these days" are not as they should be. Another thing I think we need in the body is people to stand in the gap where they say Christians are slacking.

My personal pet peeve and calling is in Stories. I believe Christians have missed their mark completely in that field. But that's me...how many fields are out there where we all have been gifted by God to do something and can affect real change. I can get all fired up and talk about how in writing Christians aren't doing so hot, but what about in the field of computer games? What about in the field of nursing? Teaching? Sports? Where are we? Even as the next generation, where are we going?

The first two posts I find were best to remember Josh and how he touched us. I knew him well enough to say that reminiscing about his life over and over again would not be what he would want. This is not to say I will stop writing. I will continue until there is no one left to listen, and then I will continue to speak so more. But I know Josh would be more concerned with, how are we going out and effecting the world with what we know now. Especially about the fragility of life. Are we eternity focused?

Real Life

I've read a lot of different memories of Josh over the past 48 hours, and so many of them speak of how much he was fun and great to be around. It's because he had real life in him. Tomorrow didn't really matter, it was enjoying today that had to be done. Moment to moment he looked for places to spread fun and joy.

I remember when we had hours to kill after a special night eating pizza, we decided to go take care of a hornets nest. We needed hornet spray of course. Luckily I had just found out where the spare key was to this little area we had to get into. Long story short, we set off an alarm, ran out of the building and five minutes later we were being chased around the woodyard by six or seven vehicles who were trying to locate whoever had set off the alarm. We were never caught, and we laughed about it the entire rest of the week. We had so much fun. Life was a blast.

Can we say the same about ourselves when we wake up morning to morning? Can we go from moment to moment with such an outlook in life?

I know that the whole point of Josh being in our lives is not to give us an example to become like. I know that our best example in life is Jesus Christ, but I also know that Josh had something that most people (including me) just don't have much of. This is a true love for life in that each moment is another opportunity to impact eternity.

Josh and I had good times together. He had good times with everyone, but it was he who made it fun. Moment by moment he showed us what true life was inside. Should we not also focus on what others see when they see us? If we say we're Christian will they inwardly roll their eyes and say "I figured as much," or will they walk away from the meeting impacted by what they saw in you. It's not about Josh's sense of humor, or even how he talked, it's a common thing that we all need to have more of. A true love for real living in God.

How many can you see around you that are dead but still on their feet?

Tomorrow

It's never an easy thing. Dealing with yesterday, knowing that you still have to live through tomorrow. Knowing that after today you'll still have yesterday's pain. There's no remedy for the pain if you don't already know the true peace in life.

We know that Josh Schrauger would not be happy if someone lost their faith because he lost his life. I remember us agreeing that in death we would want our lives remembered in joy, because we know where we're going. Like something Tom Harmon would say, we just live in a carcass, the real life is when we get to heaven. Josh would want us to continue living for God in this, not questioning His goodness.

Tomorrow is another day we can live for God. Josh was a light in this world that has now gone out. I want to remember his light, his fire, by lighting other fires in other people. By helping others out so that they can have the hope of eternity just like Josh is now in. He has eternity, and he died a couple days ago, but how many people will die every day that we should truly weep for because they will never have the hope of eternity with Christ.

Don't forget Josh. Don't forget how much life he had, and how much he gave to others. We should continue in his stead...