“Grandpa! I had a funny dream last night!” I exclaimed while my grandmother prepared my breakfast.
“What did you dream, sweetheart?”
“I was at the top of a hill where the grass was so thick and dark green it felt like plush carpet. The sky was as blue as one could imagine, and just as I started to race down the hill in my bare feet, I grabbed your hand.”
Grandpa listened intently as I continued, “But, Grandpa, when I saw your face, you were my age! Your hair was the color of amber, and your hands were youthful, showing no wrinkles or spots!”
Grandpa laughed, and then a wry smile illuminated my grandmother’s face as if she knew something I didn’t. With a twinkle in her eyes, she explained.
“Sweetheart, you just were given a glimpse of Heaven. And, one day after we leave this earth, I will meet you there and race down that hill with you barefooted.”
I was a young teen when I sat in Grandpa’s kitchen describing my dream. And to this day, I believe with all my heart that I will see her again in a place without weeds, storm clouds, and age.
A man named Jesus suffered and died on the cross over 2023 years ago. He rose from the dead to tell the world there was a Heaven where sin was gone, and folks ran down grassy slopes without fear of falling. And Grandpa and I believed Him.
Some pave the way for us to see a glimpse of Heaven. Those precious family members, friends, and teachers take our young hands and guide us toward faith. I was one of those who learned of Christ before I could write my name. I had no doubt there was a God or a Heaven because I watched my family pray, read the Bible, and trust the Lord. They sent me to Sunday School and made me sit still in church. I thank God daily for them and the grandmother who assured me I would see her again. Grandpa never lied.
Countless people are suffering today because a loved one is gone. Worldwide, there are broken hearts and tattered souls. Some are shattered by war and drowned with disillusions and doubt. If ever we all needed to fall to the feet of the risen Lord, it is now. If ever we need to rely on our faith, it is today. Now is not the time to turn away but to run to the open arms of God. We desperately need Him to forgive us for our selfishness and stubbornness and remind us that we are His children.
Grandpa lived 97 years, and during those years, I did witness her suffer, but she had no doubt that one day, the pain would end, and living would continue.
When my brother was diagnosed with terminal cancer in his early fifties, he noticed my sad face one day and tried to cheer me up.
“Guess what, Lynn!” he said with that same wry smile our grandmother exhibited. And only as a sibling would say, “I am going to Heaven before you, and eat all of Grandpa’s biscuits and homemade grape jelly before you get there!”
Today, when I think of my departed family, I imagine they are laughing around a breakfast table, eating Grandpa’s amazing biscuits and jam, along with Jesus, who would never miss such goodness. This vision always makes me smile because I also notice an empty chair waiting for me.
Faith is the blessing the cross left us. We have a choice as to whether we pick it up and carry it forward or not. If we want to heal and help others, embracing its power might be a good idea. Believing in the Lord has encouraged me to climb from many valleys of despair and grief. The hand of God has pulled me from many an abyss and given me hope and an unbridled determination to press forward.
Just before my father died in 1999, I walked toward the head of his bed and whispered, “Dad, are you scared?” Without missing a beat, he answered, “What is there to be afraid of?” Then, as if they heard him, the angels took him home without fear in his soul.
That is what faith gave my father. Christ rising from death and walking among those who lived on earth assured us that we will run on grassy hills with those we love once again if only we believe.
_____
Lynn Walker Gendusa is a Georgia author and columnist. Her latest book is “Southern Comfort: Stories of Family, Friendship, Fiery Trials, and Faith.” She can be reached at www.lynngendusa.com. For more of her inspirational stories, click here.
