Meet Peter

            Southern Luzon – Bicol Baptist Youth Camp 2014. I was there. And so were 300 others. But among all the other campers, he stood out. Of more than 300 delegates, he caught my attention. Every time I saw him, I observed. When he sang, it was barely in tune. When he played games, he could hardly focus. When he read, he strenuously deciphered the combination of letters. When he listened, his short attention span was no plus factor. When he talked, he found sentence structures troublesome. When he was eating meals, table manners were out of the picture. He was a mess. One thing positive about him, though, was that he was always wearing a smile. Always. Even when he was alone, he smiled. He was nothing close to a celebrity, but there was something about him. Something really special about him - he was special. LITERALLY, SPECIAL.

Peter is a special child.

            As I observed him, I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, I somehow sympathized with his condition. On the other, I kind of enjoyed watching him have fun in his simple ways. But more than anything else, I was challenged. I was challenged by someone who is psychologically challenged.

            He may have sung the gospel songs miserably, but he sang his heart out – full of effort, and with his most excellent voice. He may have had a hard time focusing during the games, but he willingly participated – full of enjoyment, and with his best efforts. He may have had a hard time reading the Bible, but at least he was reading the Bible! Despite the difficulty, he was eager to connect with the Word of God. He may have had a hard time listening to the sermons and the preachings, but he was listening as closely as he could manage. He may have had a hard time talking to other people, but he was exerting so much effort just to connect and enjoy the fellowship. He may have had forgotten about table manners, but he never forgot to pray and give thanks before he ate.

            He may have been a complete mess physically and psychologically, but Peter proved that he could be better than most people in one aspect – spiritually.

Peter tried his best to serve God, glorify God, praise God, and connect with God despite his condition. Peter was mentally challenged. Peter was psychologically challenged. What’s your excuse?