Discussing God with Ethan

What does God eat?

What is his favorite color?

Does he go potty like a big boy?

What do you ride on to get to heaven? A rocket?

LOVE. These are some of the questions that Ethan has been asking me about God, Heaven & salvation. On our 2 times a week drive to Easter Seals, we have a good solid 30 minute drive. Ethan, never being much for conversation in the car, prefers to listen to music. Our favorite groups of all time is The Go Fish Guys. They are a group of Dads that create Christian music...and some silly songs too....specifically for kids. BUT....they don't drive you crazy. I actually really enjoy them as well.

Something wonderful has happened this past month during our drives. Ethan has been asking a TON of questions about the words in their songs.

"What is Heaven? Who gets to go there? How do you get there? Will________(insert name of every kid in his preschool class) be there? Is God with me all the time? Why does He love me? Why is He proud of me? Mommy, do you love Jesus? How does the Spirit give me power? How does the Spirit help me? When can I talk to God? Mommy, will you ask God to go with me to Easter Seals? Will you talk to God about me pushing my friend at Easter Seals? I think God is sad that I pushed my friend, and I want to tell Him I'm sorry."

Needless to say, I have been OVERJOYED at these questions....though some are a bit difficult for me to put in terms Ethan can understand. Ever since finding out I would be a mom, I consistantly prayed for my child to, "come to know God at an early age, and love & serve Him the rest of his life." I felt like a broken record, but this has been my....almost urgent prayer ever since Ethan was created. Strange to say, but I felt like there was someone pushing their thumb into my back....like you would a pushpin.....to pray for my child. I occasionally would pray for my baby to be healthy, but consistantly...."come to know You at an early age, and to love & serve you the rest of his life."

Maybe every mother feels that way, I don't know. Now fast forward to the day Ethan was diagnosed with autism, and this prayer became a bit more urgent. HOW am I gonna teach something so abtract to someone who has a very difficult time understanding this type of concept....more than most children his age. The thumb in my back continued, and my prayers continued. I even began to pray for his future wife, his future family, his future employer, etc. I know that sounds silly but when your child has an autism diagnosis, there is a certain amount of uncertainty about their future....I would say more than typical developing kiddos.

But I know who knows Ethan's future....and I know that He loves & cares for Ethan even more than me. And I know that God moves in people's lives. But I gotta say......I was a bit surprised by Ethan's sudden interest in our faith. Because of his delays, I imagined all of these questions would come in about 5 years.....not at 4 years old.  Not only was Ethan asking questions, but there was complete understanding. The conversation was completely back & forth....not scripted from him at all. His questions would come from my responses. He was TOTALLY GETTING IT!

I was soooo looking forward to our new talks on our drives to Easter Seals. The thing that I hold dearest to me in this world, my faith, I was sharing with my son.....and he was interested & getting it!!!! I was so pumped that I would call Corey at work as SOON as I dropped Ethan off at Easter Seals. I couldn't wait to tell him about my conversations with Ethan about Christ. It was so awesome.

What happened next? Stay Tuned!!!!!

Check out The Go Fish Guys on YouTube! They have their own channel for free! I love it because they show a lot of the words to the songs on the screen....which Ethan just loves & can better comprehend. LOVE these guys!!!!