FoggyRock General Forum

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!