I call my son "The Preacher".  The name is so fitting:  he loves to watch the Christian/religious programs on television, and he's always telling people about Christ wherever he goes.  He tells them:  "Jesus is coming soon!  Be ready!!"

He is also mentally handicapped.  Born that way.  Down syndrome.  He may be in his thirties, but he's got the mind of a seven-year-old child.

My son could convince even the most serious of nonbelievers that they need Christ in their lives.  In fact, everywhere he goes, he's spreading the Gospel Message of Salvation.  He is very passionate about this. 

He knows two Bible verses by heart:  John 3:16 ("For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, and whomsoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life") and John 14:6 ("I am the way, the trusth, and the life; no man come to the Father but by Me"). 

My son loves church.  In fact, he loves it so much, on Sunday mornings, even before the sun is up, he wakes us up by crowing:  "Jesus is coming soon!  Be ready!  Today is church day!!"  He is shaved, washed up, and dressed even before we (we being myself and my husband) are out of bed, his treasured children's Bible in his hand, a big smile on his now-clean face.

For years, we wondered why Charlie had such a deep interest in church; we never brought him up with it.  We were just content to sleep in on Sunday mornings, yet Charlie was up before the sun, watching television.  We assumed it was cartoons.  He loved his Bugs Bunny cartoons.  They brought him much joy and laughter.

We couldn't have been more wrong.

When we went to check on him one Sunday, he was sitting there, leaning on his elbows, intently watching Billy Graham speak to the masses about Christ.  He was so absorbed by the legendary preacher's words that he didn't hear us come in.  When he saw us, he looked startled for a second; he then gathered himself and said, "Look, mama and daddy:  God's on the tv!"  (I guess he thought that Billy Graham was, in fact, God, Himself.)

He continued:  "And I have God in me, right here!" (he said this while pointing to his heart).  A big grin covered his face.

Now, whenever we get up in the morning, the first thing Charlie wants to do is pray or watch the preacher-man on television.  He is very serious about his time with the Lord.  I suppose that is a good thing; after all, what harm could it possibly do?  Charlie can't work or function on his own; he needs something to occupy his time, so reading the Bible, praying, and telling others about Christ (including us) is what he spends his energy on.

He even led us to Christ.  He led us through the sinner's prayer, and bing, badda boom!  Just like that, Christ entered our lives, and we haven't been the same since.

Now we go to church with Charlie.  No more sleeping in until 10 or 11 in the morning.  We go hear the pastor preach the message, and Charlie is teaching us about the Bible, and is drilling us on some of the verses, as only he can.  We are learning about God together, as a family.

We don't know how long we have with Charlie (he has heart problems and at night he uses oxygen to help him breathe easier), but as long as we still have him in our world, we will let him continue his mission of evangelizing to others.  After all, it was our son who led us to the Lord, and so far it hasn't done us any harm.