Barnes Hill Original
Freewill Baptist Church
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From our Pastor:
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From the Members:
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, a nd 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 hav e 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.. FRIENDS
ARE ANGELS WHO LIFT US TO OUR FEET WHEN OUR WINGS HAVE TROUBLE REMEMBERING
HOW TO FLY