Ethan's 1st Church Service

Once a month, our church does a "Family Service" on Sunday nights. Ethan has always preferred to play in the nursery instead of being in "big church"......he usually won't even step foot in the sanctuary because he is afraid of it. Every time he has been in the sanctuary, it has been too loud or too overwhelming or too new. And we always take advantage of the nursery instead of trying to keep him calm & quiet during a church service. That time will come soon enough since he is getting close to the age limit for the nursery.

However, this past Sunday night, our Pastor asked my husband's side of the family to participate in an activity which would include not only Corey & I but Ethan as well. I told him we would try, but in the back of my mind I never thought it would happen. Ethan is just too terrified of the sanctuary. BOY WAS I WRONG!!!!

The whole gang got to church a little early in order to meet with Pastor & go over what he wanted us to do. Ethan walked right into the sanctuary as if he had done it 100 times.....no biggie. I was so thankful for this small miracle! Then he saw some of his cousins, and immediately left the comfort of my side in order to go play with them. He keep looking at me while he was creeping over to them, and I enthusiastically shook my head 'yes'. Ethan was so comfortable that he felt he could wander away from Corey & I?! AMAZING! Then, after we got our orders, the whole family moved up to the front 3 pews. Corey & I thought it would be best for Ethan if we stayed where we were....in the very last pew. However, Ethan followed the rest of the family, and went right on up to the front! And we followed....

He was Mr. Social! He was walking around the 3 pews of family, talking to everyone, playing with the kids....it was so awesome! Then the service started. Now, the family services are very different from a typical service. It is focused more on families.....thus focused more on kids......and it's not a very traditional service.  So Ethan didn't have to be super quiet, but he did have to sit down because it was still a church service. When we told him to come & sit by us, he kept saying, "Owen? Owen? Owen? Owen? Owen? Owen?" over & over again.....he wanted to sit by his cousin......LOVE!!!! The theme for the evening was "Let Your Light Shine," so they darkened the sanctuary & only lit the platform. Ethan immediately began to tense up, so we offered him his sound-softening headphones. He put them on just as they started a video clip on the screen, and Ethan said, "Oooooooo! Look! A movie!!!!" And the video was entirely a light bright whose picture was constantly moving to show a story. And Ethan has a light bright so he was very interested in this "movie." Then, they started the music portion. I felt myself prepare for the meltdown that was surely going to come....because this is why he doesn't like the sanctuary.....and no meltdown ever came! We sang about 4 songs, including This Little Light Of Mine.....to which he held up his finger & had the biggest smile ever! My heart just melted! Then, another video, and he enjoyed that too. So far, the whole service has mesmerized him.

Then our Children's Pastor when on stage for a "science experiment," and she invited all the kids to come up and join her. Before Corey & I could even look at each other to communicate how we should handle this with Ethan, Ethan was walking up to the platform with the rest of the kids.....no fear! SERIOUSLY!!??? WHO IS THIS KID???!!!!! Corey went up & sat in the front pew, but Ethan was on his own on the stage with the other kiddos. All the kids sat down around the demonstration table, but Ethan was ready to put on a show. Remember, the lights were down in the sanctuary, so.....as my friend pointed out.....the only people he could see in the audience were the first 3 pews.......which was his family. He was so excited & happy! He was talking about how much he loved the apples, counting the apples (they were actually lemons), jumping up & down, climbing on & off the alter....it was so amazing to see him without fear. After awhile, I went on stage to aid him in being a part of the group & listening to the demonstration. This was a new experience for Corey & I....we were prepared to handle anxiety-filled Ethan, but not ham-it-up on stage Ethan!!!! It was great!!!! Then, the Children's Pastor passed out glow sticks. She snapped one & handed it to Ethan. She was telling the kids to shake it after they snapped it in order for it to glow. Ethan says, in his non-inside voice, "Everybody shake 'em!!!" It was hilarious! Then, they turned the lights on the stage down, so we could see the glow sticks really glow. When that happened, Ethan says, "It is SO beautiful!" I was over the moon!!!

Then, they dismissed us back to our seats, and I took Ethan out for a diaper change. As we were in the bathroom, Ethan begins to sing......."This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine"........(pause for tears).................and I thought to myself how Ethan already is letting his light shine. I was so thankful when I heard the door open because it stopped me from bawling right then & there. I was just so happy for Ethan. Well, it was our Minister of Music, and she started singing along with Ethan. He got the biggest grin on his face. He thought that was so cool! As we made our way back inside the service, the lights were still off as our Youth Pastor was giving the sermon. He had a bunch of lights lit on stage include a large revolving multicolored light that was bouncing off the walls of the sanctuary. Ethan loved it. Then, it was time for our family's activity. It's a bit difficult to explain this,but I'm going to try. My husband's older brother is married to a friend of mine. Her family has been members of our church for years & years. Pastor brought HER grandpa up on the platform, lit the candle grandpa was holding & interviewed him. The point was that him shining his light made a difference in his family. Then, Pastor brought up the grandpa's kids.....all of whom attend church....and 3 out of the 4 attend our church. Grandpa lit his kids candles, and they lit their spouses candles. Now there are 5 family members on the platform. Pastor interviewed them. Then he brought up THEIR kids....one of which is my friend & sister-in-law. The pattern continued, and then it branched over to my husband's family.......Corey's mom & dad.....then Corey & I with his other siblings.....and then finally the great-grand kids....including Ethan. Ethan did amazing. He sat with our Children's Pastor while Corey & I were on stage, and he did very well when he was called to the stage. That was the last thing of the service....and Ethan did AMAZING! It was all Corey & I could talk about that night & the next day. It was such a blessing.

When Pastor asked my husband how being raised in a Christian home has effected how we want to raise Ethan, Corey got very choked up. We always knew that we would raise our kids in church. That's how he & I were both raised, and we both found Jesus at a very early age. And this is what we want for Ethan. So, we want to do what our parents did for us. But, with Ethan having autism, this has become a challenge. He can't participate in a lot of church activities due to his anxiety & sensory sensitivity. So, our biggest desire for Ethan has become even more of a challenge to teach & model. But, I continue to pray everyday for Ethan. I pray every day that he would come to know Jesus at an early age, and that he will love Him & serve Him every day of his life.....like Corey & I have. It has been life-changing for us, and we want Ethan to have this peace in Jesus as well. And I don't know what Ethan understands or what he will be able to understand in the future, but I do know that God has big plans for Ethan. And Ethan showed us all during that evening church service that he is already letting his light shine. He is such a gift.