It's hard to lose in death someone that you love, especially hard for a five year old grand daughter.
During the months leading up to PopPop's death we had had many discussions about God, always instituted by Edan. One discussion left me speechless, which is unusual for me in discussing God. Our darling grand daughter had started the conversation about God. I'm sure her parents had prepared her for PopPop's death by telling her that he would be in heaven with God when he died. That really set her mind to reeling about heaven.
First thing she asked during the ensuing discussion was, "Well, MeMe, since we're all God's children, who's the mother? God's the Father and there has to be a mother. So who's God's wife?" I was speechless. As I verbally stumbled around for a few minutes, smart grandson Jesse diverted her attention away from the puzzling question, rescuing me from attempting a long theological answer or merely saying, "I don't know," which would have really puzzled her. Jesse blurted out, completely in defense of me, "Edan, God has a son and His name is Jesus."
"Oh, yeah," the inquisitive little girl said. She went on to ask more questions to which I knew the answer. Later I thanked Jesse for rescuing me just in time before I made a bad mistake in giving a long answer, that the mother is the body of Christ, which would have confused her even more than she was already confused.
A few days after the inevitable death, the always inquisitive little girl asked her dad if we all prayed real hard would PopPop come back alive just like Jesus did. That left her dad speechless at first, too. I'm sure he told her of the possibility but not the probability.
The most wonderful thing that happened in relation to my husband's death is when Edan made a statement rather than asking a question. She proudly and emphatically said, "Meme, I used to be afraid to die. Now I'm not afraid to die because I get to hug PopPop again."
The strong faith of a little child, how emphatic it was. Her statement brought tears to my eyes and it brings tears to the eyes of every adult who has heard her wonderful statement quoted.
The Bible says that perfect love casts out fear. Edan and PopPop's relationship is a wonderful example of that. The love that PopPop showed to Edan while he was alive did truly cast out any fear of death.
God is so smart. He knew Edan would be spared the fear of death by a loving grandfather. That's why God had a writer put that scripture in His Instruction Book, to confirm Edan's statement of faith.
God is smart and He's so, so very good. Just ask Edan, she will tell you.
