Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The Dying Grandpa

There was a grandpa who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness some time ago who learned that his illness was now in the final stages.  He was going to die within weeks. 
Death did not scare him because he knew of the treasures that lie ahead.  However, he was heartbroken about how to tell his six-year-old granddaughter about death.  He struggled and prayed to God, “Please, give me the words to explain death to my granddaughter.”  Then, all of a sudden, he knew the Lord had given him the perfect way to explain death.

The next day, he asked that his granddaughter be brought to his house.  When his granddaughter arrived, the grandpa said, “Honey, you know how much I love you.  Grandpa has something very important he needs to talk to you about.”

“OK, Grandpa,” the little girl responded.

The grandpa continued, “I need to talk to you about death . . . you see, your grandpa has just learned that I’m going to die soon, but before it happens, I need to explain it to you.”

“I don’t understand, Grandpa,” the girl said.

“I know you don’t understand . . . but hopefully I can show you what it is like” said the grandpa.  “In just a moment, I’m going to get up and go into my study.”  His study was the room right next to the living room where the two of them were talking.  “Once I go into my study, I’m going to close the door.  I want you to wait out here for a couple of minutes.  Then, I want you to come into the study to be with me” said the grandpa.

“OK, grandpa,” the girl responded with a quizzical look on her face.

So the grandpa took one long look at his granddaughter, gave her a big kiss on the cheek, and went toward his study.  As he opened the door and began to enter the other room, he looked back one last time at his granddaughter and said, “Now remember, grandpa loves you!”

When the grandpa went into his study and closed the door, he could hear his granddaughter fidgeting in the other room.  Finally, he heard the small steps approaching the door.  The door handle turned slowly and the girl gradually opened the door.  When she got the door opened, the grandpa was standing there saying, “Come here!”  And with that, he wrapped her in his arms and gave her another big kiss.

“That’s what death is like, honey,” said the grandpa.

“I still don’t understand,” she said.

“Honey, when I got up from the living room and went into my study and closed the door, could you see me?”

“No, grandpa.”

“Could you hear me?”

“No, grandpa.”

“Did you know that I was still alive?”

“Of course, Grandpa, because I knew you were in the other room.”

The grandpa said, “That’s exactly what death is like.  There will be a time soon when you will no longer be able to see me, nor hear me, but you’ll need to know that I’m still very much alive!”

This is the hope we have for anyone who dies as a believer in Jesus our Savior.  Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.”

So when a believer dies, he is still very much alive.  He is simply living in the other room.  Of course Jesus has also told us about that other room.  “In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

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