Justin's Conversation with God

Sometimes I use this blog as a way to tell funny stories, or as a way to reflect, or as my coping mechanism for the endless crazy times that define my 30's.  Other times, like now, I use it as a sort of electronic baby book for the boys.  They aren't babies anymore but I love being able to capture some of these stories so that they can read them later....and not in my horrible handwriting! 

It's amazing to see the boys' relationship with God develop year by year.  Leo is beside himself at church every Sunday waiting to sing the Alleluhia...but make no mistake, he's still 2 years old.  Almost immediately after the Alleluhia he begs to go home for the next 30 minutes!!  He might take about a 3 minute break when he gets to take his $1 up to the basket and then immediately back to begging to go home.  Justin is learning to go beyond saying prayers and maybe, just maybe, starting to understand actually talking and praying to God. 

This past weekend Justin and I had a great conversation about God.  I am pretty sure the discussion began as a delay tactic for going to bed, but I will take what I can get.  It was very interesting to see a 4 year old try to grasp the concept of talking to God.  Justin had been misbehaving all evening so in true Catholic fashion I started trying to teach him about praying and confession.  I told him that in his prayers tonight he might want to tell God that he is sorry for being sassy and for hitting Leo. 
Enter an endless amount of questions:

Can I talk to God anytime I want? (yes)
Anytime? (yes)
When I wish upon a star is that talking to God? (sure)
Could I say "I love you God?"  (of course, He loves to hear that)
Could I say "Abracadabra?" (sure, you can say whatever you want to God)
Could I say "1, 60, 60, 111, 60?"  (well, that's not a real number but you can say anything to God)

Where is God? (He is everywhere and when we talk to Him, He is in our hearts)
Like Balentine's Day? (no, this heart is in our body)
Where is our heart? (it's in our body.  I let him lay on my chest and hear my heart beat)
What does it do? (it keeps us alive by pumping blood through our body)
Is God in our blood? (yes, God is everywhere)

Did you know that Dracula likes blood?  (yes)
Is God in Dracula? (no, Dracula isn't real.  He is pretend)
What about Batman?  Is God in Batman?  (no, Batman isn't real either)
Yes he is!  When he is Batman he isn't real because that is a costume, but when he isn't his costume then he is real like me.  (Ok, then God is in Batman when he is real).

How does our heart keep us alive?  (It just keeps us going like how batteries keep toys going)
What about when it runs out? (the heart doesn't run out like batteries do...I SO did not want to go down that road too!  This was heavy enough)
Like Robots?  Do Robots have God?  (no they aren't real)
Only good guys have hearts, right? (kind of)
Not Joker.  He is a bad guy.  But all of the good guys are real people so they have hearts.   (ok)

So I can talk to God anytime?  (yes)
What if I am talking to someone else and He can't hear me? (He can always hear you no matter who you are talking to)
Will he be mad at me if I am talking to someone else?  (no, but He wants you to talk nice to everyone).

Can He talk to me?  (kind of.  He is in your brain and in your heart talking to you.)
Like numbers are in my brain? (kind of)
ok mom.  Good night. 

and just like that, he was done with our conversation.  It was like he had learned all he needed to learn that night about talking to God.  Just warmed my heart....and made up for some of the sassy behaviors :)