Life is like Sun-Tea

Have you ever had Sun-Tea?

Well, I'm from the south. It's a pretty common thing there. As I was thinking about having some today, I was inspired to type this. You know, life and Sun-Tea are quite similar to comparison. Let me give you a step-by-step on how the tea is made.

1. Get a jar/jug (Must be made of glass so the sun can shine through it)
2. Get a handful of teabags and drop them in (choose a flavor)
3. Fill the container full of water
4. Set outside on a hot day. (It can't be cool or cold outside. It won't work)
5. Make sure it is NOT in the shade
6. Allow to sit.....for hours. Until you can barely see through the container
7. Open up the jar and add sugar to your likeness
8. Stir, stir, stir
9. Get a cup, add ice, enjoy

Simple right? I would agree. Then again, life is the same way. Allow me to explain.

(STEP 1)
You see, life (yours), is that container that you used to initially start the tea making process.
The comparison of yourself to a glass container is that you MUST be willing to let the light shine through you.

(STEPS 2 and 3)
As you fill the container with tea and water, picture YOU filling yourself with whatever content you decide. It can be good things, bad things, or a mixture of both. I'm the latter, I can tell you that much.

(STEP 4)
You must be in situations where the "light" will help you when it shines through. You can compare it to financial struggles, relationship and family matters, occupational situations, even health. Remember, if there is NO struggle, there is NO progress! (Langston Hughes)
I compare it to a hot day, when it seems as though the heat is relentless and you just want a 'cool break'. Sometimes there is purpose for the relentlessness of life. We have to adapt, and make the best of it.

(STEP 5)
Being in the shade will not help you in life. Hiding in the background. Never stepping out of the boat and into the water (testing your faith). Never taking a chance. Never admitting to your mistakes. All of these scenarios are equivalent. If the "light" were to attempt to shine through you, to make you a better person (tea), you must be available. You can't be in the darkness. Darkness and Light cannot exist in the same place.

(STEP 6)
Sometimes we get so frustrated about how long our struggles are. How long we set out in the heat, before we can be brought inside and enjoyed. Patience is something that has to set in. You must embrace the heat and be patient. You may be thinking, "Man will this process ever become complete? I don't see any difference". All the while, you are growing, maturing, and becoming a commodity without you even realizing it. Eventually, you will look back and see that the inner you has changed, and you can compare it to when you first started out, being an empty container of nothing useful.

(STEP 7)
Once you think you're complete, you're still not yet totally. There may be a few things you must do for yourself to make yourself more whole. The sun can only do so much. Think of other avenues where you can enhance your flavor. Drop a bad habit, let go of an immoral ritual, shake off those friends that are unimportant, stop spending quality time in non-quality places, etc.

(STEP 8)
You're nearing your hypostatic state here, which is when God and man comes together. You may have to add a little ice at the last minute, so the taste of your labor can feel a little more refreshing and rewarding. After all, this has been a lengthy process that has taken some time. Stir up all of the "new" you, the "light" that has shined through you, any extra "additives" you used to add a little more flavor and..........

(STEP 9)
Enjoy! This is your moment. It can be momentary, progressive, or everlasting. Regardless, you have put in your work to be as refreshing to others as you can possibly be.

Get a cup, kick back, and chill.



The purpose of me writing this blog, is with hopes that if someone is going through a relentless moment of painful 'heat', and you just want it to let up a little bit, know that it may actually be helping you moreso than hurting you. What you should do is take the sun, make it a conduit to your self-completion, be patient, have faith, and believe.

"When life hands you lemons, make lemonade".
IS EQUAL TO
"When life burns like the hot summer sun, and you feel you have nothing inside, be patient, you may become that refreshing glass of Sun-Tea if you just wait a while, and work on you".

The 'Light' will do the rest.


God Bless.

I'm Humbled

So I've been doing a little soul-searching in order to find out where I actually wanted to go with my first blog.

Do I write about love, religion, women, war, politics, sex, traveling, racism, sports, music, theatre arts, drugs, family, lust, etc? I could easily write about any of those topics, mainly because I believe I am quite thorough as far as my knowledge on those subjects.

But then it hit me. I figured, since it is the holiday season, and everyone is talking about what they did/didn't get for Christmas, and all of the 'wishing' that has been done lately, I'd write about something along the lines of that.

However, I went to the homeless shelter again this Christmas, and in an environment like that, you really have to search for a silver lining, or you'll leave that place in a puddle of tears. Whether internally or externally, it's natural to feel some things. Well, my inspiration came from a little seven year old girl I met there (Jayda) who told me on Christmas that if Santa could get her ONE thing for Christmas, it would be a "Chance."

A "Chance?"

Do you know how deep that is for a seven year old to say?
Do you know how blessed we are?

Scratch that, do you know how blessed I feel I am?

Do you know how much 'stuff' we all have, yet most don't seem to recognize it until it's too late?

Most of the crap that we tend to get all strung out about is actually there in front of us, but we can't see past the smoke and mirrors of the world, and all the 'stuff' that the world says we MUST have in order to be somebody important. The fancy cars, the shiny rims, the best threads (clothes), the jewelry, the perfect figure, the degress and doctorates, in the end, all of that stuff means NOTHING if we don't appreciate what's right in front of us.

In true fashion, I will use my easiest outlet to get my point across, writing a poem, and all I have to say is, I'm very humbled........very.

I'm Humbled

I don’t own a brand new car,
Parked outside, sitting on 22 inch rims,

But I have a golden chariot waiting on me,
To take me upstairs to see Him,

I don’t have a closet full of threads,
So I can stay dressed to impressed,

But I’m trying to be clothed in righteousness,
That is my ultimate quest,

I don’t have the typical daddy that I can hold near and close to my heart,
But I have a Heavenly Father,
That I know will never part,

I don’t have that worldly family anymore,
And most of them cats I ran with way back,

But I have my relatives and my close friends,
It doesn't get any better than that,

I don’t have a perfect credit report,
And I’m still not debt free,

But I know there is a place where I can go,
And everything is there without a fee,

I don’t have a spouse or fiancée’,
That I can flaunt and call my own,

But I am surrounded by angels I can’t see,
And they will remain near till I’m gone,

I don’t have a ton of degrees,
And accolades that determine my worth,

But I have a book of all knowledge,
Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth,

I don’t have an extremely chiseled physique,
From working out everyday,

But it doesn't matter because in the end,
The body stays here anyway,

I do not have a very huge home,
Decorated like a showroom floor,

But my soul is telling me to be grateful,
Because some people are forced to sleep outdoors!

I don’t have thousands of dollars at my exposure,
That I can withdraw and spend at any time,

But I’m blessed with lengthy, yet very good thoughts,
That I can withdraw from my mind and put in rhyme,

You’ll find that everything we think we want,
Isn’t necessarily what we actually need,

And if we’ve lived this far on what we have,
Then everything else is just greed,

Indeed, you’ll succeed,
If you give Him thanks and the praise he deserves,

The Lord has spoken through me,
And I just delivered it through words

I’m humbled.

Peace