The day after we watched The Star, an animated movie about the birth of Christ, our four-year-old granddaughter, Sarah, said, “Gamma, where is Mary now?”

“I think she’s in heaven, Sweetie.”

Her expression changed.  “I don’t want her to be in heaven. I want her to be here.”

I tried to explain. “Mary lived a long time ago, and when she died, I believe she went to heaven.”

We went on with what we were doing but a little later, I realized Sarah had disappeared. I found her in our bedroom holding her favorite blanket, sucking her fingers. “Are you sad about something, Sarah?” She nodded. “What are you sad about?”

“I’m sad because people die and go to heaven. I want them to stay here.”

I knew this was all about her Dada who died in July, but I didn’t know how to answer her. So I just hugged her and said, “I know, Sweetie. I miss your Dada too.”

I couldn’t get this conversation out of my mind. What could I tell Sarah that would help her not to blame God that people die and go to heaven? As I thought and prayed, a plan began to form in my mind. I would take Sarah back to the very beginning and tell her how death came into the world.

A few weeks later when Sarah was spending the night, I picked up our Bible Story book and sat down beside her on our bed. “Sarah, do you remember a few weeks ago when you said you were sad because people die and go to heaven?”

She nodded. I continued, “I wanted to tell you that it wasn’t God’s idea for people to die.” I launched into a five-year-old-level account of God creating Adam and Eve. Then I added, “God put Adam and Eve into a beautiful garden called Eden where they had everything they needed. He told them they could eat the fruit from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He said, ‘If you eat from that tree, you will die.’

“Then one day, a snake came into the beautiful garden, but although he looked like a snake, it was really Satan.”

 “Call him the Devil, Gamma!”

I smiled. “So the Devil lied to Eve, ‘You won’t die if you eat from that tree. God knows if you eat from that tree, you’ll be just like him.’

“Then Eve made the worst mistake of her life. She believed Satan, the Devil, instead of believing God, and she disobeyed God. She took some of the forbidden fruit and ate it, and she gave some to Adam. Then God made Adam and Eve leave the beautiful garden so they wouldn’t eat from the tree of life and live forever in their sin.

I was amazed at Sarah’s attentiveness. She was listening to every word.

“So eventually, because of their sin, Adam and Eve died. And from then on, everyone was born with sin in them. But Jesus came to earth as a baby so that he could grow up and take the punishment for our sins. And if we believe in Him and love Him, we can go to a beautiful place called heaven when we die.”

Then we talked more about the true meaning of Easter and the empty tomb before I told Sarah more about heaven.

“The Bible says in heaven no one ever gets sick, no one ever dies and no one ever cries. It says the streets are paved with gold. We can’t even imagine what a wonderful place it is.”

Sarah’s eyes sparkled. “What about snacks? Will we have snacks in heaven?”

“I’m sure that if you want snacks in heaven, Sarah, you’ll be able to have them.” Her eyes glowed at the thought of the kind of snacks she might have in heaven.

I finished by telling her again, “It was never God’s idea for people to die. It came about because of sin. But He loved us so much that He sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and prepared a place for us in heaven if we believe in Him and live for Him.”

Donn walked into the bedroom, and we both kissed Sarah good night and tucked her into her cot at the foot of our bed. We prayed over her as her eyelids closed—perhaps to dream about that wonderful place called heaven that God has prepared for all those who believe in Him.

I hope understanding that death wasn’t God’s original plan will help Sarah have a more accurate view of God. I want her to know that even though Adam and Eve disobeyed Him, He still had a good plan for them just as He does for us—a home in a beautiful place where death will never separate us from the ones we love.

Thank you, Jesus, for your promise of a place more wonderful than we can ever imagine for those who put their trust in you. Comfort the little ones who are wrestling with losing someone they love. Amen.