How in the world do you write your grandmothers funeral sermon? How do you summarize
91yrs of life? This task was one of upmost privilege and utter drudgery.
My grandmother was an amazing person! My earliest memories go back to sitting at her table,
drinking cream and sugar with some coffee, eating pancakes, and playing canasta. At that same
table I heard countless hours of stories and continuous laughing.
Laughing and telling stories were probably two of the greatest lessons Grandma taught me. She
also taught me the way to love people and especially how to socialize over coffee, which I am
enjoying now (with only cream) as I remember her and write this.
In honor of my grandmother, I want to tell you a story. A story not about what was but what is to
come. A story about my grandma from the time she said goodbye until now. There is a lot that
has transpired since her passing that I don’t know, but I am going to take what the Bible says and
tell it like the stories I used to hear from her.
Grandma never met a stranger. Even as she strolled into heaven it was no different. In Grandma-
like fashion, she walked into the gates of heaven with joy and laughter. The angels (she loved angles) greeted her at gate, stopping her from going in. They said, “Barb, we have a party
through those gates we are about to throw just for you! Peter described this party in 2 Peter 1:11:
‘Then . . . Christ’ (NLT). But first we need to know why we should let you into heaven.”in his
book 2 Peter 1:11 (NLT) ‘Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’
But first we need to know why should we let you into heaven?”
PAUSE!!
This is This very moment is when Grandma’s friends and family would love to testify on her
behalf.
Just look at her family! Look at her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren! Look at the
life she lived and love she gave! Come on angels, she had a cabinet in the corner of her dining
room full of you all!! LET HER IN!
Yet, Grandma didn’t panic. She didn’t even gulp. As cool as could be, like someone who had
picked all the right constants and vowels on the Wheel of Fortune, she gave the answer she knew
they needed to hear. She knew this one was not about her…but Him. Jesus. She looked them in
the eye and said, “I have had a wonderful life, I was loved of many. As Solomon said in Proverbs
17:6 ‘Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their
children’ (NLT). Even with all of that, I have done nothing to deserve all of this!!
You should let me in because of my love and faith in Jesus and because of what he has done for
me. He saved me from who I was and gave me eternal life. He forgave me of all I’ve ever done. I
am simply claiming that today, Angels.”
And with that she was given a hero’s welcome.
For the first time in her entire life…SHE WAS SPEECHLESS!!
She stood amazed to see that “Heavenly city whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews
11:10).
“Oh,” she thinks, “if I could just yell back down to earth and let everyone know what this is like!
N0 mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for
those who love him” (I Cor 2:9).
And the king, King Jesus. How amazing. He was nothing like she had ever seen. He was body,
soul, and spirit; and yet, so was she.In this state she saw a throne that was set in heaven, and one
sat on the throne. “In the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders,
stood a Lamb as it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6).
There was no way to describe this scene in her own words. The best way for her to describe it
was by quoting Isaiah’s description after he saw this scene: “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a
throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one
had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain
he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole
earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the
house was filled with smoke” (Isa. 6: 1-4 KJV).
The singing going on around His throne was beyond words! Glorious hymns such as “Holy Holy
Holy, Lord, God Almighty. Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee. Perfect in power, in love, and purity.” Blessing,
and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb
for ever and ever.””How Great are you God!”
Even with her confidence and habitual habit of giving everyone she knew a hug and kiss,
regardless of how desperately she wanted to do the same with her Savior; upon seeing Jesus, she,
upon seeing Jesus she just fell at his feet. He then laid his right hand upon her, and said, “Fear
not; I am the first and the last. This is a celebration just for you! Welcome my child.”
Then the Angels picked her up and assured her it was all ok.
Having built a home, and having a husband and son who had an excavating business, Grandma
could not help but notice the architectural structuring of this glorious place.
The whole city itself was pure transparent gold like glass! The wall was made of jasper, and was
built on twelve layers of foundation stones inlaid with gems. This amazing city was suspended
yet sitting upon a solid foundation. “The walls had twelve foundation stones, and on them were
written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:14).
From what only a heavenly mind could possibly know, she actually perceived the gates to be
1400 miles high. Not only that, they were made of solid white pearl (Rev. 21:12-13; 21). She was
astonished! She loved her “bling.”
Speaking of bling…The street, the street was made of solid gold! “The great street of the city was
of gold, as pure as transparent glass” (Rev. 21:21b).
There was so much to take in. Interestingly, she didn’t see any type of sun. Interestingly, she
didn’t see any type of created light. Although she was actually a few heavens above the sun, this
heaven was so bright she should have needed sunglasses. Miraculously, her eyes were able to
take in all of her surroundings.She did not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the
Lord God was all the light she needed (Rev. 22:5).
There was a fountain there that my grandmother had to see immediately!
From each place she had been she could hear it, but had yet to see it. From this fountain flowed
the river of life! He then said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give
unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” (Rev. 21:6).
The river of life ran through the center of heaven and made for a beautiful landscape. Along the
river she could not only see the Tree of Life but a forest of trees (22:1-2). In each season these
trees grow beautiful fruit. And even though my grandma had no known needs at this time, this
tree satisfied a need she didn’t even know she had. The fruit seemed to be very therapeutic.
There is so much to take in she will need all of eternity to do it!
But honestly for Grandma, the most shocking thing for her was not what not what she did see,
but what she didn’t see, or should I say, whom she didn’t see.but what she didn’t see, or should I
say, who she didn’t see.
She expected to see many more members of her community there. Actually, there were several
people she was shocked not to see there. It finally clicked in her mind what Jesus meant when he
said:
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).
When she asked her sister-in-law where they were, my great aunt took her back to Jesus. He
affirmed that she was right in her observations of the good they had done on the earth. He then
told Grandma some of the saddest words spoken in heaven, “Their works were not enough. It
could never be enough. Even when they demanded they had done many wonderful works in my
name. I declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practiced evil'” (Matt.
7:13-14).”
“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh
abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev.
21:27).
Please don’t miss this wonderful place! Don’t miss meeting my grandmother, but most of all
don’t miss Jesus!
Please don’t put off accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior any longer. Listen! Our souls were
created to live, and we will live forever one day in ether Heaven or Hell. God has paved the way
for you to go to heaven, all you must do is accept what he has done for you.
Don’t wait.
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