There’s a member of our congregation in Lebanon that has Down Syndrome. His name is Robert. He is an incredible individual. He always has a smile on his face, a great attitude to share, a big heart full of love, and a word of encouragement for EVERYONE. Last night, our preacher (who happens to be Robert’s brother in law) showed this video involving the Special Olympics. It was very moving, especially for Robert’s parents. After our service was over, I got to talking to Robert’s dad. Mr. William was telling me about what it’s been like being Robert’s parents. It was so incredible listening to his testimony and what all they’ve been through and how far they’ve all come, especially Robert.
One thing that really stuck out to me in our conversation is the fact that Robert is ALWAYS happy. Mr. William told me last night that he gets joy out of the simplest things. He could be singing in his room with headphones on. The listener may not be able to understand much of what he’s saying, but he does and God does, and you gotta just know that God loves it. Then you’ll hear Robert say, “I love my life”. Mr. William was also telling me that Robert will get so excited about something small, like a cup of soup from a local restaurant, and you would think that same cup of soup maybe cost a fortune. He doesn’t care. He’ll continue to say, “I love my life”.
How many times do you see yourself saying that about your own life? I know that I personally don’t say that often enough. God richly blesses us beyond belief. The “thank you’s” don’t get up there as often as they should (at least that’s how it is with me), and when things get bad, we all decide to complain. When things don’t go how we want them to, how often do we say “Man, I hate my life!”??
Maybe we should be like Robert. Maybe we need to look at ourselves and change something. What do you say? My challenge for you is to start loving your life. Are you up for it? Let's do it together!
