In Heavenly Places

“Grandpa, don’t you want to get saved?” Billy looked at Grandpa’s bristly white hair and pale rough face as he lay in his easy chair. The old man’s eyes opened and looked at him sharply.

Billy had come to visit Grandpa and cheer him up. Grandpa couldn’t walk by himself anymore and he loved to have Billy read or sing to him. And Billy was glad to make his sad face smile. He loved Grandpa.

“Billy, I am saved!” Grandpa replied gruffly. The chair creaked as he tried to sit up. Billy could see that he didn’t like the question, just like Mother had said.

“I love the Lord,” Grandpa said quickly, and then made a wheezy sort of sigh. “I’m going to heaven.” But he didn’t sound too happy.

Billy studied Grandpa with his bright blue eyes. He felt sorry for the old man, who lay so glumly in his chair every day. He wanted to tell him about how glad he was inside because Jesus was his Friend. Jesus would take him to heaven someday, but would He take Grandpa? “Grandpa, are you really, really sure that you are ready to go to heaven?” he asked.

The old man looked at the boy and sighed. The shaggy head leaned back and his eyes closed. Billy watched the bushy eyebrows pucker as Grandpa frowned to himself. What was he thinking about? Billy wondered. He put his hand on Grandpa’s arm and leaned his head on the round shoulder. What could he say?

Suddenly Grandpa’s head came up. “All right, Billy,” he said clearly and strongly, “just how do you know that you are ready to go to heaven?”

Billy’s face brightened, and a little smile spread across his lips. He thought of how Jesus had made him so happy when he was so sorry for the bad things he had done. Now he could always talk to Jesus and tell him all his troubles, and Jesus would always help him. To be with Jesus would be wonderful!

“I used to not be ready,” Billy said quietly, “but I began to feel really bad about things I had done that were wrong. I asked Jesus to forgive me. And He did!” Billy felt so happy that a big smile lit up his face.

Grandpa looked at Billy’s smile and his face became serious. “God help me,” he whispered hoarsely. Billy put his little smooth hand into Grandpa’s wrinkled one.

“I’ll pray for you,” he said softly, and felt the rough fingers squeeze his own.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”* (Matthew 5:16)