1:37:00 – 1:50:00

I would like to thank you all for being here today, especially those who travelled to come here. 

Caleb was a great kid. He was not just a great friend to his friends, he was a great friend and son to Cameron and to myself. We shared so many memories together. There were many things that we did as a family but there were also things that were our special thing to do with each kid. With Caleb, there were 3 things that were our special things, just me and him.

Cooking is the first one. Once during quarantine Cameron asked the kids, “What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?” Caleb’s answer was Cooking with mom. We have a shared love for cooking, and for food. He would send me different cooking videos and say, “Mom, you’ve got to try this!” Like cooking meat 5 different ways.

Caleb enjoyed watching cooking shows on TV. Once, when he first started watching those shows, he watched me grill chicken and he said, “You’ve got to put the char on that meat!” It was so, so funny and out of the blue that Cameron and I just reeled over in laughter. It’s something we often say now when we grill meat. “You’ve got to put the char on it!”

Monday night, we made dinner together for the last time. He was home from school early before going flag football practice and he wanted to make chicken alfredo for dinner. Normally on a weekday I would be so tired after school that I won’t want to try making something new. But that day I decided we’ll make it since he’s been asking. I’m so, so glad we did. Then he said he wanted fried rice for lunch the next day and I told him I’ll make it. He was so surprised. “You would?” And he was so happy when he came back from practice that I’d made fried rice and he happily packed his own lunch for school the next day. 

He was so happy on Monday night. He did everything he loved to do – cook, play football, and he got to see his aunt and cousins. 

Another thing Caleb and I spent a lot of time doing together was worship. He’s always been so musical. He was humming Twinkle Twinkle Little Star perfectly tuned before he could say the words. You saw in the video earlier how he shined on stage playing the Candyman in Willy Wonka.

We’d always encouraged him to use his gifts for worship. When I prayed a long time ago and asked God what Caleb’s biblical character would be, he’s David, worshipper and pursuer of God. One of our high school seniors, Sam emailed me on Wednesday with the same thoughts, and I’ve never told Sam that. During quarantine, he led worship with me for church every week. Due to the quarantine, all of those worship sessions are on Facebook. I will cherish those facebook live videos forever.

The third thing Caleb and I did together that was special and our thing was to work on his books. Caleb started writing these novels when he was 11. When he let me read his first novel, I was amazed. I thought to myself, this is an amazing piece of work even for a grown up! I couldn’t write something like that myself and I’m an English teacher! It was a whole novel with a great plot and character development. I knew I wanted to publish it someday.

Then he kept writing and writing and it was 2 books, then 3, then 4. He wrote 5 books for the series. It was a universe he created with superheroes and super villains. So well thought and developed. He was always so excited to send me each new book and tell me about them.

One thing that was so special was he wanted to use my cousins’ names for his characters and he would ask me who he should use and if he missed anyone out. He’s so thoughtful and wanted people to feel special.

On Tuesday morning my cousins and family were praying over a Zoom call. One of my cousins picked up his third book, The Harts, and read a portion of the first chapter. And I’m going to read it to you.

“This… this could change the world. I, Dr. William Schultz, will be the start of that change. A change for the better. The start of something new.”

         Isaiah responded. “If this thing works, we’ll be living in a different Earth. An enhanced Earth. There will be evil people out there trying to ruin our universe and will do so using this cell.”

         “I fully trust everyone in this room. Together, we will make sure that this will be used for the right purposes. Together, we can save the Earth from all the darkness and evil in it. I will now begin surgery to implant the cell into each of our bodies.”

I’ve not seen his books this way before until my cousin Rachel shared her perspective on it. You can see his desire for a better world, a new earth where there’s no evil. And he ‘invented’ in his mind this cell that will cause ordinary people to have superpowers. As I think about it, I see that this cell is the seed of salvation, the hope of glory in Christ Jesus. It is when we have the seed of Christ in us that we can save the earth. 

“Together we can save the Earth from all the darkness and evil in it.”

I believe that it is Caleb’s desire to plant this seed of salvation in every one he can. He may not be preaching it over a pulpit, but he shares this in different way, in his writing, and in his music. 

Caleb had such a special relationship with God. Since he was 2, he learned to pray and talk to Jesus. I remember one day when he was four, I went into his room where he was playing and asked him, “What are you doing?” He said, “Talking to God,” so matter of fact without even looking away from his toys. I asked what he was talking to God about and he said about going to Uganda.

When he was 8, we were on a mission trip in the Philippines and he had a vision of an eagle landing next to the White House. That was when we were praying about coming back to the US. God spoke to him about our move.

You can see from the video how much he loved worshipping God. He wrote songs, he played instruments, he led worship with me in church. Today, it is worship that keeps me going. When it feels too hard, I listen to worship songs and worship in my heart. When I keep my eyes on Jesus, I can breathe and take the next step. I know Caleb is worshipping Jesus in heaven. Such a glorious place.

2 nights ago, when his brother Evan was having a hard time, I told Evan he should ask God to show him where Caleb is and what he’s doing. I think that will help. He said okay and then went to shower. When he came out of the shower, he told me it makes sense if Caleb chooses to stay in heaven. It’s like if a bank pays you $100 or a billion dollars each month, would you rather start getting the money today or wait 70 years? It makes sense that Caleb would choose to start receiving it today than wait 70 years. He has 70 more years of being in heaven and being with Jesus than having to be here. I think that was such an awesome analogy that God gave to Evan. 

Caleb went ahead of us all to heaven first. Knowing his competitive nature, he’s probably happy that he came in first in this race.

Two nights ago I dreamed of today, his memorial service. We were in the parking lot and the whole parking lot was covered in fresh white snow. I told his dad about it when I woke up and he told me the verse in Isaiah 1:18, Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be white as snow. Later on I was sharing this with some people and I was saying how it’s ridiculous to be snowing in October. My dear friend Eliza said it’s snow that was out of its time. The snow came early just like Caleb left early. But he’s been washed white as snow. My sweet boy.

Caleb wrote 5 books for the series he calls DOTS. He started writing when he was 11 and completed the final edition of the last book on June 20th this year. I am so glad he completed the series. I plan to edit and publish the last 2 books soon. 

With some of the money we have received through your donations, I’d like to print sets of his books and place them in the school library. Thank you to those of you who have read his books and enjoyed them, and to those who have given so generously to us.

I believe Caleb will be happy to see his books in print.

I want to thank all of you here today who have been a part of Caleb’s life. He had such a great school career in Parkway and everybody here is like family to us. 

Thank you 8th grade class for being great friends to Caleb. Thank you teachers for sowing into him and teaching him, loving him and mentoring him. Thank you to the football team. This year you guys have been a very big part of his life. I’m so thankful Coach Beck allowed him to practice with the team. You guys have welcomed him and made him so much a part of the team. He has learned from you, grown with you and loved you all. He talked about you all the time. Thank you for honoring him at Friday’s game. I know you will remember him in your own special way.

As you leave this sanctuary, there will be ushers handing out candy. Caleb comes into my classroom everyday to give me hugs and ask how I am. He also would go into my candy stash and grab a candy. This year I happened to have Kit Kats in the stash. I just feel Caleb the Candyman would like to share candy with everyone. I know he would do anything he could to make us all feel better.

We are also passing out bookmarks with his favorite verse. The verse is Ezra 10:4 “Arise, this is your task. We are with you. Be strong and do it.” That is Caleb’s mantra. He did everything he wanted to. He was faithful and did his best in everything. He was also easily the best in many things. I hope is here today will remember how Caleb lived his life to the fullest and do that ourselves. Remember how passionately he worshipped and how intimately he connected with God and do the same.

As we go through the days ahead of missing Caleb, I want to say, it’s okay to miss him and it’s okay to talk about him. I love hearing stories about Caleb so if you see me in school and you need a hug or want to tell me something you remember about him, please do so. I want him to be remembered by everyone who cares about him. He’s very special. 

I love you Caleb. My heart is forever broken. A broken and contrite heart, God will not despise.