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Page 23 |
God Lives
Under The Bed....
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 outside
his closed door 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 are 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 of 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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