Shared with me by my neighbor, Kay
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,
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.
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
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
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.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different.
Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
Up before dawn each day,
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,
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, e
He does not seem dissatisfied.
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, e
ager for a day of simple work.
He wrings his hands excitedly
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 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,
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.
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 more happy than 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.
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,
He does not shrink from a job when it is begun,
and he does not leave a job until it is finished.
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
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 is his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with Christianity,
I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit
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?
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.
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!
