I read this story a long time ago and I've kept it saved because I loved the message. It has always made me smile and feel all tingly inside when I read it...I hope it has the same effect on anyone else who reads it, too. Oh, how I wish I had faith like Kevin's! I guess it touches my heart becomes my brother, Troy, has Downs Syndrome. He looks at life exactly like Kevin. Whenever I call my parents home and Troy answers, I'll ask him how he is doing and everytime, every single time, he will say, "I'm fantastic!" Everyday I learn something new from Troy...something as simple as smiling when you've had a crappy day or singing while I do my chores. And I wish I loved doing laundry the way Kevin does. That would definitely make my life easier... :) Anywho, enjoy the story...
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.
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 doesn't shrink from a job when it is begun, and he doesn't leave a job until it's 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!!
Maddie wrote a poem for the Reflections contest this year and won the award of excellence for it!! Along with a snazzy little trophy!! The theme was "Beauty is..." Here's a picture and the poem!!
Well, Maddie has one the prize for becoming the first one in our little family to break a bone. She was doing some stunts at a cheer practice and landed wrong on her left arm. She fractured the bone just above the elbow. Not fun, but she is in good spirits and hopes to be able to continue cheering...just not stunting. :) It's a tad inconvenient to be a one-armed girl...no cheer, no piano, needs help getting dressed and doing her hair...but she has been very brave and upbeat inspite of all the incovenience. She will get a cast on Tuesday (she's hoping for purple...she is a Lehi cheerleader), so any and all that would like to sign it are more than welcome! :) She is actually pretty excited about it. ;)
