“My Father’s house has many rooms; I will prepare a place for you?" ~ John 14:2
Cherise gazed out over grassy emerald hills toward ivory
covered mountains that stood sentry to the bluest of lake waters. Crashing waves
turned golden as they churned the sandy shore. The girl had never seen so much
natural beauty at one time.
Her grandmother
approached in a voice that tickled her insides. Her smile went viral. Engaging
and beautiful, Gramma greeted her with a warm embrace; love given so freely yet
priceless.
Across the gentle
airwaves came a sweet chirping sound. She watched Gramma’s face recall the
exact species of bird that called them. Birdwatching had always been her
favorite pastime.
“What kind is it,”
Cherise asked as the little bird, in a bold expression of golden feathers, settled
on a blossomed twig. Its tweets were as clear as sunlit dew.
“It’s one of the 42
species within the bird-of-paradise group. This one is from Bali; isn’t she
lovely?” Gramma replied guiding her granddaughter closer. They stopped short of the
tree, taking in the moment, embracing nature’s gift, and sharing intimacy they
hadn’t felt for too long.
Cherise closed her
eyes, breathed deeply, and suddenly realized how much she had missed her Gramma.
She’d always been her safe,
sunny harbor.
“So, this is where
you’ve been,” she stated, reaching for Gramma’s hand.
“Yes,” she said simply as if it should be obvious. “I’ve
been getting it ready. When the time’s right, you’ll join me here. So will
Grandpa, and your parents, your sibling and cousins. Someday, we’ll all be
together again, in this place.”
Suddenly the girl understood. This was their own piece of
heaven. “But I miss you,” she admitted knowing that someday wasn’t anytime
soon. She still had a long life ahead of her without Gramma. She wouldn’t be at
her birthdays, her wedding, wouldn’t get to see her become a mom, and watch her
babies grow.
“I miss you, too,” Gramma
stated calmly, “But I’m always with you. Watching. Preparing. Waiting.”
A moment of silence
followed as Cherise acknowledged the truth. What a blessing to see her, hear
her, and feel her presence. Gramma was at peace with death as a transformation,
a pathway into Heaven’s glorious realities.
Cherise felt tears welling up in her
eyes, knowing this was the start of goodbye. She couldn’t have Gramma back in her
life each day. But mourning is the proof of love, of the bonds that exist
beyond our reality, and opens a new way of connecting.
She shuttered and felt
the softness of her pillow. Cherise hesitated to open her eyes and breathed deeply
hoping Gramma’s perfume would still fill the air. As happy tears moistened her
cheeks, she felt eternally grateful for that brief touch of heaven and knowing
that she was loved.
