Grandma and the Butterfly

"Grandma, do you really think a pretty butterfly will ever come out of this thing?" asked Grant, bringing a large jar to the sofa where his grandmother was resting. He had caught a caterpillar, and it had spun itself into a chrysalis. "We've been watching it for so long." Grandma turned her head away and coughed, then smiled as she looked at the greenish sac hanging from a stick in the jar. "Oh yes. Just wait." She patted the seat beside her. "Sit down a minute, Grant, and let's talk."Grant sat down next to her. "Grant, that chrysalis reminds me of myself," said Grandma. "It's going to change soon, and I am too. The doctor says I won't be here much longer--I'm going to die." A big lump formed into Grant's throat, and tears sprang to his eyes. "But I'll be so sad if you die, Grandma!" Grandma patted his hand. "I know, and that's okay--it's normal to be sad when a loved one dies. But I want you to remember that I'm going to heaven. My body will be buried in the ground, but I'll be with Jesus because I trust Him as my Savior. And someday, when He comes back to make the whole world new again, I'll get a new body that won't ever get sick or die. You keep watching the chrysalis, and when you see the beautiful butterfly that comes out of it, think about the wonderful new body your grandma is going to get. Will you do that for me?" Grant nodded, and Grandma gave him a gentle hug. One night, while Grant was asleep, it happened. Grandma died. When Grant saw her lying so still in her casket, he remembered what she had told him, and he knew he was only seeing her body and that Grandma was with Jesus. Thinking about that helped, but he still felt very sad.The morning after Grandma's funeral, Grant noticed something that made him excited. "Mom! Dad!" he called. "Look at my butterfly!" Sure enough, a beautiful butterfly had emerged from the chrysalis.As they admired the beautiful creature together, Grant decided to let it out of the jar and go free. "Just like Grandma," he said as he watched the butterfly stretch its wings and fly away. "Someday she'll have a new body too."-Matilda H. Nordtvedt