GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED
I envy Kevin.
My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed.
At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and
I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he
said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the
bed...'
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room.
Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source
of amusement. But that night something else lingered
long after the humor.
I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin
lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of
difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2),
there are few ways in which he is an adult.
He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a
7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe
that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus
is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas
and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry
them.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different.
Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the
disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his
favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he
hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with
her newborn child.
He does not seem dissatisfied.
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a
day of simple work.
He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove
before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our
dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.
And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays!
That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport
to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate
loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That
one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.
His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday
nights.
And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field
trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.
His life is simple.
He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power,
and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or
what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been
met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when
he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums
the carpet, his heart is completely in it.
He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not
leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done,
Kevin knows how to relax
He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others.
His heart is pure.
He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be
kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.
Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin
is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always
transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes
to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know
God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult
for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest
companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity,
I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some
divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.
It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the
handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my
circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust
them to God's care.
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?
After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence,
praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and
love of God.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened,
and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our
hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a
boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
Kevin won't be surprised at all!
When you receive this, say a prayer. That's all you have to do.
There is nothing attached. This is powerful..
Just send this to four people and do not break this, please.
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost,
but a lot of rewards.
FRIENDS ARE ANGELS WHO LIFT US TO OUR FEET WHEN OUR WINGS HAVE
TROUBLE REMEMBERING HOW TO FLY
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