MAY 11,  2 Corinthians 5:8

When her grandmother died, Danielle felt very sad. “Grandma’s happy with Jesus now?” she asked her mother.” Mom assured her that was true. As time passed, she learned to be happy, too, as she thought about her grandma. But now, Danielle was very sick. Her parents were honest with her when she asked about it. “Yes, you do have a serious illness, sweetheart,” Dad told her, “and we’re praying that God will work a miracle and make you entirely well again. We know He wants the very best for you.” Mom nodded. “Doctor Lim says the medication he prescribed will help you feel much better, and he reminded us that researchers are making great progress every day. He’s hopeful that they will soon discover a cure for this illness.”

As the days passed, Danielle did feel a little better, but she knew she was far from well. “I could die from this disease?” Danielle asked one day. “I know I’m a Christian and I’ll go to be with Jesus. But I don’t want to leave you and Daddy. And I wonder what it’s like to die—how does it feel?” Mom held her tight. “Baby,” said Mom after a few minutes, “do you remember when you were a very little girl and would sometimes get scared during the night and crawl into bed with Daddy and me?” Danielle nodded. Being in bed with her parents had always made her feel safe again. “And where would you find yourself in the morning?” Mom asked. Danielle thought about it for a moment. “In the morning…” She smiled. “I would be back in my own bed!” she said.

“That’s right.” Mom smiled, too. “After you went to sleep, Daddy would pick you up in his strong arms and move you to your own bed.” Danielle’s mother spoke softly. “I think that must be what death is like,” she added. “We go to sleep here on earth and wake up in heaven.” As Danielle considered that, she nodded. It was a beautiful thought. At just the right time, God would lovingly take her to heaven to be with Jesus forever. It definitely was not something to fear. It was something to look forward to.

Thought: Are you afraid of death? If you’re a Christian, you don’t need to be afraid, for someday you, too, will be moved from earth to God’s beautiful heaven.

Prayer: Help me gracious Heavenly Father to know that the most important thing is to be sure I’m a child of Yours. Then, I need not be afraid of death, and I know that at just the right time, You will take me to my new home in heaven. It will be a wonderful experience and I will spend eternity with Jesus, for it is in His name I pray – amen.