Red Leaves and Autumn Trees

Grant and I have been matched with our little brother (through Big Brothers Big Sisters) for about six or seven months now. During this time we’ve gone to the Botanical Gardens, played the Wii, gone to the zoo, seen Monsters vs. Aliens (in 3D mind you!) and spent loads of time at the house giggling, talking, cooking, dog-chasing, walking, painting, pumpkin carving and becoming really good friends. Every time our little guy is at our house for a meal we bow our heads to pray. He has asked a few questions about why we pray, but we’ve never really gotten into it with him-it just hadn’t come up.

Last week, Ulises was over for a visit. The week before when I asked him what he’d like to do that we hadn’t gotten to do yet (I was anticipating bowling or roller skating or something!) he said he’d like to take the dogs for a walk-so we did!

We all suited up in jackets and tennies and headed out- Grant, Abi, Truman, Dakota, Ulises and Me. Grant and Abi were handling the pups and Ulises and I followed behind, chatting. He had found red leaf that he was AMAZED by.

He told me repeatedly that he thought this particular leaf was “boo-yi-ful,” and it was. We walked along holding hands and I thought of a prayer I’d prayed two years ago during the fall: Lord, establish the work of my hands. WABAM!

Ulises: Banessa, who made these trees?

Me: God did. He made the trees and the leaves and all of the colors.

Ulises: Who made Truman.

Me: God made Truman too. And Dakota and Abi and Grant-and YOU!

Ulises: Gog made all of that? Who is he?

Me: He is someone who loves us soo much. He’s bigger than everything and He can do

ANYTHING. He’s very powerful, but he loves us enough to make little tiny things like that

leaf there-because he knew you’d love it!

Ulises: Banessa, I want to see him. I want to see His face and pull on his ear!

Me: I want to see his face too, Buddy.

We kept walking and I could see his little wheels turning. We cut through some trees in our neighborhood and onto a path where there was once a railroad track. Now it’s just a great big path closed in by trees-we go there to let the dogs run free; we can’t see cars or houses and we feel like we’re out of the burbs for a few minutes.

Ulises: Woooowww! Grant! Is this where Gog lives?!

Grant: No, Buddy the dogs live in our house. You know that!

Ulises: No, Grant, Gog!! Is this where Gog lives?

Me: He’s saying God, Baby.

Grant: Oh. Ha ha ha. Yeah Buddy, God lives here and He lives everywhere. He’s always with us.

After our walk Abi and Ulises and I jumped in the car to go to the store so we could buy some pumpkins to carve. I had left my Bible in the backseat of the car and turned around to see Ulises with legs crossed and the Bible opened on his lap. He carefully turned the tissue-thin pages and pretended to read. Every now and then he’d go, “Oh! There it is!” or “Ah! I see.” As he “read.” Then he came across the card that was given out at my Grandfather’s funeral. It has a blessing on the back and a picture of Jesus and the two robbers on the cross on the front.

Ulises: Oh no! Who is that?!?!?

Me: What are you looking at? Oh that’s Jesus. You know God, who I was telling you about?

That’s his son.

Ulises: His dad is Gog?!

Me: Yeah, his dad is God.

Ulises: What happened to him? Why is he here??!

His voice was so horrified at the picture-and I suppose it is a pretty scary picture to see of anyone, nevermind the son of the guy who made pretty leaves and autumn trees.

Me: He was a really good man, and he said really good things, but the things he said made some other people scared, so they tried to kill him.

Ulises: Oh no. That’s so sad!

Me: You know, it was sad, Buddy, but only for three days-then God saved him! He brought him back to life!

Ulises: No! You’re silly, Banessa. No he didn’t.

Me: Yes, he did! He made him come back to life! And he’s still alive now!

Ulises: For real?!?

Me: For real.

Ulises: Wooowww…..

I have to admit that explaining these concepts to someone who has never heard of God or Yesu Cristo or la Santa Biblia or church or ANYTHING remotely “churchy” was intimidating. How fulfilling to know that His Spirit is and will accompany me as I work-cause He knows those words didn’t come from this girl!!! God is so good-and even Ulises who’s just met Him can see that!