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, returning
to eat his favorite macaroni-and- cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The
only variation in the entire scheme are laundry days, 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. I don't think Kevin knows anything exists
outside 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. He recognizes no differences in people, treating each person as an
equal and a friend. 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 submit them to Christ. 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 the Lord. 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.
"Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now Lord, show
them a new revelation of your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask you to
minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them
your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a renewed
confidence in your ability to work through them. Where there is tiredness,
or exhaustion, I ask you to give them understanding, patience, and strength
as they learn submission to your leading. Where there is spiritual
stagnation, I ask you to renew them by revealing your nearness, and by
drawing them into greater intimacy with you. Where there is fear, reveal
your love, and release to them your courage. Where there is a sin blocking
them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend's life. Bless their
finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders, and friends to
support, and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the
ignorance and error of thought around them, and reveal to them the power
they have in you to bring light to these places For all of this and more, we
are so grateful.
In Jesus' name we pray.
AMEN"
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