Heaven

This week has been horribly sad and so very sweet at the same time. One of my dearest friends in the world lost her father this past week. The past two years we went to the Nashville ALS walk with he and his family.

Santi, Luca, Auntie & I had also gone a couple of Saturdays to visit with him as he had seriously declined in the last few months. We would then go with his wife and my dear friend out to breakfast to just get them out of the house for a few hours. Santi dearly loves his sweet “Na-Na” and “Na-Na’s Mama”! He also adores their dog Berwyn. He would play the entire time we were at their house with the dog. So it wasn’t weird that during the week Santi would constantly ask where Berwyn was.

This past Friday Na-Na’s Papi past away from ALS.  Neither Nolan nor I discussed it with Santi, but that very evening as we were getting him ready for bed he asked where Berwyn was, nothing new. I gave him the same answer as always, “Berwyn is at Na-Na’s Mamas house.” But then he continued, “Where is Na-Na’s Papi?” I was surprised. He knows Na-Na’s Papi, but hadn’t ever asked about him before. I hardly knew what to say, I didn’t want to make it a sad thing. Then I realized it didn’t have to be sad. “He is in heaven with Jesus.” “Oh wow, that’s cool.” And that was that. It was a very sweet moment. Heaven isn’t a sad thing! Heaven is where everything is perfect, no more pain, no more tears. AND, Jesus is there! How amazing is that?! 

Fast forward to yesterday. Again, Santi asked me where Na-Na’s Papi was. I told him the same thing, “He is in heaven.” He followed it up with “Yeah, with Jesus. Na-Na isn’t sitting on his lap anymore.” I didn’t really know how to respond to that. I didn’t really know what was going on in his head, but I do know he was trying to figure it all out. 

This morning we started our resurrection eggs. I asked Santi to bring me my Bible so we could read the verse first before opening the egg. He was very excited to read about the palm branches and to learn that we will all have our own palm branches at church this Sunday on Palm Sunday. It was a sweet time reading the Bible together. As soon as we were finished Santi got his Bible and starting flipping through it (The Jesus Story Bible in Spanish and English that Na-Na’s Mama had just given him).  He found the story about Zacchaeus, Noah, David & Goliath, and then he saw Jesus on the cross. We discussed Easter again and how Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He then took my Bible and handed me his. He flipped through just like he had done in his and “found” all the stories he knows. 

He then immediately started talking about Na-Na’s Papi again and how he was in heaven now too. He told me that he too wants to sit on Jesus lap. My heart is full. What a sweet thought. I am a happy Mama. It is a horribly sad week knowing that my friends’ father has died, but at the same time it is a visual for Santi this Easter season. Na-Na’s Papi is someone who Santi knows, he is someone who he has physically seen and touched and loved. Now during this Easter season death has been made real, heaven has been made real for my 2 year old. I am so grateful that through death and sadness a little boys mind has been opened up to the good news of Jesus!!!