Kevin and God
by Kelly Adkins
http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/9c4/9c4034.html
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
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.
Kevin was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties
during labor. Apart from his size (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.
Kevin 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, nor does he leave a job until it is
finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.
Kevin 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, he approaches his faith 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 Kevin is not the one with the handicap - I
am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become
disabilities when I don't 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!
Explore these empowering websites coordinated by the nonprofit PEERS network:
www.momentoflove.org - Every person
in the world has a heart
www.WantToKnow.info - Revealing
major cover-ups & working together for a better world
www.inspiringcommunity.org - Building a Global
Community for All
www.weboflove.org - Strengthening the
Web of Love that interconnects us all
Educational websites promoting transformation through education and inspiration
-- To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this email list of inspiration and education (average one email every two weeks), visit https://www.weboflove.org/subscribewol. Subscribe to the list of news and information on deep cover-ups (one email every few days) by visiting https://www.WantToKnow.info/subscribe. --