Oh the Conversations I Have.....

I started watching Jeremy and his brother Justin when they were 7 and 3 years old, respectfully.  I mostly conversed with Jeremy while driving to his many appointments. Ok, so it was primarily Jeremy talking and me nodding my head or occasionally saying things such as "I see" or "cool".   Usually these revolved around him perseverating about a past event or a recitation of baseball stats (usually those of the Yankees) or football stats (he's a Jets fan) depending on the season we were in.  Justin often talked to me about what he was learning at daycare or an episode of the PowerPuff Girls.  Ah, those were the days.......

Now Jeremy is 10 years old and Justin is 6.  While sitting down with Justin during his snack he told me "you shouldn't have some alcohol and then drive.  My camp counselor's son was killed on his motocycle by someone who was drinking and driving."  Thus began a conversation about drinking and driving.  Later, while driving Jeremy to his OT appointment he asked me "What does groping mean?"  When I asked him where he had heard that term he told me that on the news last night it said the police were looking for a teenage boy accused of groping a girl.  Good grief.  On the plus side, it gave me the opportunity to explain why it's really, really important to keep our hands to ourselves (something that has been an issue lately).  Later I got the run-down on which rap stars went to prison and why followed by how various actors and musicians have died or been killed.  As boring as they were at the time, some days I really do miss hearing baseball and football stats.

The last few months have been filled with discussions about why God allows people to have disabilities such as Autism and Touretts Syndrome, along with the importance of not allowing our emotions to control our actions.  Lately all of these conversations have brought to my mind the verse in the Bible talking about how we need to have a ready answer for everyone who asks.  Not that all of my conversations with the boys discuss my faith (although occasionally they do) but they do make it even more apparant to me how my words impact others.  Especially since Jeremy has an uncanny ability to repeat verbatim what I said months later.  More importantly though, I need to make sure that my actions are consistent with my words. 

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

Colossians 4:5-6