BIBLE PASSAGE:
Though you have not seen Christ, you love Him; and even though
you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an
inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your
faith, the salvation of your souls.
(1 Peter 1:8-9)
MEDITATION:
Kevin is a boy who was born over 30 years ago with a mental disability
as a result of problems during labor. He is 6’2″ tall but in most ways he
is not an adult, but a child due to his disability. His sister has overheard
him praying and one night he was saying,
“Are you there, God?’ ‘Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed.”
He reasons and communicates at the level of a 7-year-old, and he always
will. Kevin will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that
Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under his tree every Christmas,
and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
His unique perspective can be a source of amusement to his sister,
but she also realizes what a very different world Kevin lives in. She
wonders if Kevin realizes he is different and if he is ever dissatisfied
with his monotonous life.
He’s up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the
disabled, home to walk the cocker spaniel, returns to the kitchen
to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later he is
off to bed. The only variation in his daily schedule is when it’s time
to do the laundry. 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 the dirty laundry for his next day’s laundry
chores.
On Saturdays his 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. 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 as 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 arguing.
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 always trusting God.
Since he is 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.
Many can have moments of doubt and frustrations regarding their identity
as a Christian. But not Kevin – he has found security in his simple faith.
Others may look at Kevin and think that he has a handicap, but does he?
Could it be that those observing Kevin are the ones handicapped?
It can be debilitating to us whenever we do not trust God with our
obligations, fears, pride, circumstances, etc. We can become bogged
down with our own intellect and power of reasoning.
Does Kevin comprehend some things that non-handicapped people
will never learn? Does he have some divine type of perception and
knowledge that we are too blind to see?
If so, then it could very well be that Kevin’s life of innocence and
praying in the dark, has allowed him to soak up the goodness of
God’s love. We, however, often allow the influences of others to
keep us from enjoying God’s goodness.
When others disappoint us, we allow that disappointment to redefine
who we are. At one time we may have been loving and trusting, but
because others have proven to be untrustworthy, we allow ourselves
to become skeptical and bitter, and we withhold our expressions of love.
No longer do we warm up to others the way we once did, and we dole out
our love in portions only when we feel that others have earned our trust
and are worthy of our love. No longer do we brighten the days of others.
We have allowed the actions of others to damage our spirit of forgiveness.
Our countenance can even change from a bright and cheery person to one
who is darkened by finding and pointing out the flaws of others. Our life is
no longer defined by our relationship with God, but it has been redefined
by our relationship with others.
We can easily become envious of Kevin because his handicap (or maybe his
asset) allows him to remain himself and maintain his relationship with God
even when others disappoint him. Kevin may have discovered how close God
really is to our hearts. He feels that God is so close that He can be found under
his bed. Kevin may be less surprised to see God face to face than many who do
not have his handicap.
ACTION:
Have you allowed the actions of others to affect your relationship with God,
and with others? Should you go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to help
you get over the disappointment of others? Satan loves to use any vehicle
he can find to destroy the happiness God has given us.
Are there things you can earn from Kevin? Have you allowed your own
intellect, successful achievements, power of reasoning, or selfish desires
to have a damaging effect on your childlike faith in God and the fellowship
you have with Him?
Has bitterness caused a change in your countenance and your interactions
with others? Would God be pleased with the person you have become? Have
you considered who you are today compared to who you were when you were
first ‘graced’ with salvation from the Lord? How do you resemble Jesus Christ?
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on
things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died,
and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ,
who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
(Colossians 3:1-4)
That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard
about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth
that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former
way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted
by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your
minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in
true righteousness and holiness.
(Ephesians 4:20-24)
You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But
now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these:
anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self
with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being
renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
(Colossians 3:7-10)
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, help me each day to have the faith of a child;
to know that even though I can’t see you, I know You’re always
with me and I’m surrounded by Your love and protection. Teach
me to develop the characteristics of the One I am following, Jesus
Christ. I know that the more I become like Him, the more I will be
able to experience the joy of my faith, rather than being bogged
down and influenced in the wrong direction by my circumstances
and by the actions of others. Help me to be kind, forgiving and
loving, so I will realize the impact You can have on others through
me. Show me the spiritual gift You gave me when I received Your
salvation, and teach me how to use it as You intended.”
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