My four-year-old grandson asked me a profound question: “Where is Heaven, Mimi?” When our grandsons stay overnight at our house, I always take the opportunity to share about the things of God as part of the bedtime routine. In an instant God gave me the right answer that a child can understand: “Heaven is where Jesus is.” I would have never thought of that answer, but the Holy Spirit inspired me to answer correctly and succinctly. And my grandson understood and believed.
I then told my grandson that Jesus is preparing a special place for each of us for when our turn to go to heaven comes. I explained that most likely I will go to heaven before him because I am older. And that I will be waiting for him in heaven with Jesus when his turn to go comes. I ended this story by telling him that we would have a huge balloon party when we meet in heaven again with all our loved ones. And that we would be together in heaven forever. He went to sleep with a big smile on his face and the peace of God.
Reflecting on this beautiful conversation, I thanked God for giving me the right answer at the right moment. Every conversation we have about God with a child is a seed we plant in their hearts that will produce fruit. Proverbs 22:6 (NLT) tells us to “Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.” I then asked God to lead me to Scriptures that explain and describe heaven. I wanted to have more conversations about heaven with my grandson.
The first Scripture I remembered is John 14:1-7 (NLT) “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
In addition to telling my grandson that heaven is where Jesus is, I also wanted to emphasize two other important concepts. First, that we only go to heaven when we accept Jesus in our hearts as our Savior. Secondly, that once we are saved, we go to heaven and will be together—forever. The concept of eternity is new to my grandson, but he is starting to understand that “forever” means a long, long time. It means “always.” And understanding that concept gave him peace and hope. Isaiah 25:8 says that “He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears.”
I will leave you with these encouraging words from Colossians 3:1-5:
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
My prayer is for you to have the assurance that you will be with Jesus forever when your turn comes to leave this earth. We don’t know when we’re going. But we can know where we’re going when our earthly life ends.