Happy Birthday, Bobby

Today we celebrate Bobby's 70th birthday.  In spite of his mental disabilities, he was taught to crochet by our grandmother.  How she did that I'll never know since Bobby is left handed and Grandma was right handed.  Nevertheless, he may do three to five coasters a day.  This week a gentleman from the County Health Department brought him five balls of yarn to use crocheting coasters.  They had asked him, and he agreed, to make coasters for them.  The Health Department plans to use them as gifts to stores in central Kentucky who agree to sell locally grown products.  He'll make a bunch of coasters for their project.  The Christian Appalachian Project has used his coasters as gifts and rewards to some client families as a part of a parenting behavior modification program.  This past Christmas our Church gave boxes of food and gifts to several hundred families.  As  families picked up their boxes, they were able to go to the Church's Christmas tree and takes several of Bobby's colorful coasters which were being used as Christmas tree ornaments.  Since Bobby has little concept of money's value, he isn't motivated by getting paid for his time, energy, skill, yarn, etc.  He just loves to make coasters and have people use them.  No one ever called a meeting, got him organized or developed a "plan" for Bobby.  It just began to happen because folks saw the coasters, heard Bobby's story and asked if he would make some for them.  I think Bobby, and many other disabled folks like him, are wonderful role models of how to do ministry.  Ministry can be simple and effective, especially when motives are pure.