Jacob sat alone on his bed. He was very sad. It was the saddest he had ever been. He just got home from his grandmother's funeral. Jacob had never been to a funeral before, and he didn't understand it all.

He remembered how the music played softly and beautiful flowers filled the room. At the funeral Jacob's mother sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes. Jacob

thought he even saw a tear in his dad's eye, and he had never seen him cry before. Everyone there had their best clothes on and said wonderful things about Grandma.

The preacher said Grandma was in heaven with Jesus, but Jacob didn't understand. All he knew was that he missed his grandma as he now sat alone on his bed.

Jacob looked up when he heard the door open. It was Dad. He sat next to Jacob on the bed and put his arm around him. "I know you're sad," he said to Jacob. "I am too. But we must remember Grandma is in heaven with Jesus."

"How can Grandma be in heaven?" Jacob asked softly. "I saw her today. She looked like she was sleeping. I wanted to wake her up."

Dad said "Come here son, and look in the mirror. Remember last week when we took you to get your hair cut?"

Jacob said he did remember as he looked at the summer burr haircut that replaced the curls from the week before.

"You're still Jacob, just like you were before," Dad said. "It's not your hair that makes you Jacob, is it? Now put your hands behind your back."

Jacob stared at himself in the mirror with his hands behind his back.

"Can you see your hands?" Dad asked.

"No," Jacob answered.

"Well, are you still Jacob?" Dad asked.

"Yes," Jacob answered, not really understanding why his dad was asking these questions.

Then Dad explained, "You see Son, it's not your arms or legs or even your face that makes you Jacob. It's what's inside your body that makes you Jacob. It's your soul. And your body is just like a house for your soul."

"Did Grandma have a soul, too?" Jacob asked.

"Sure, she did," Dad answered. "We all do. Her body was just like a house for her soul. As Grandma got older, her body became frail and weak. You wouldn't want to live in a house that wasn't safe and strong, a house that let in the rain, would you?"

"No," Jacob answered. "I would move to a better place."

Dad said, "That's exactly what Grandma did, Son. She moved from the weak frail house her body was and went to heaven to be with Jesus. You remember how much Grandma loved Jesus, don't you? Heaven is a beautiful, wonderful place. The streets are made of pure gold. There's a crystal sea and there's a tree with twelve kinds of fruit on it. No one will ever get sick in heaven, and we'll never have to say good-bye there. In heaven it never gets dark. The gates are made of a big pearl, and the walls are made of beautiful sparkling stones."

Jacob smiled. "Grandma likes things that are shiny and sparkle. I think she must like it there."

"Oh, I'm sure she does," Dad replied. "The best part is she's with Jesus, and if we love Jesus the way Grandma did, someday we can go to heaven and be with them."

"When our house wears out? Jacob asked.

"That's right," Dad answered as he gave Jacob a big hug.

Jacob felt better now. He was still sad because he missed Grandma, yet he was glad to know someday they would be together again.