A young man who had seen my Glimpses of Heaven business cards in a local restaurant contacted me recently. It seems he has a printing business of his own and he wanted to see how he might help me.
We spoke at length about my book, which he had purchased and found intriguing. He had a story to tell, one he said that he would not have thought to tell before reading my book.
He was raised a Catholic but, as he grew up, he found himself moving away from the church, but never from God. It seems he had a grandmother whom he loved very much and who influenced him greatly. He reminisced about her visits to his home when he was little and how happy he was to give up his room for her when she stayed. Often in the middle of the night, he wanted to retrieve a small toy or stuffed animal from his room. No matter how quiet he tried to be, she would always wake up, saying softly, “Turn the light on son, turn the light on.” For him it was a very sweet memory.
He eventually grew up and moved away. When he heard the news that his grandmother had died, he was deeply saddened and returned home for the funeral. Entering the church he knew so well as a child felt comforting to him.
He saw her casket in the center aisle at the foot of the altar. The church was dark. As he approached the casket, in his mind’s eye, he saw the lovely woman who had meant so much to him. He wondered if she knew he was there and that he still loved her very much.
At that very moment, a priest quietly rounded the corner of the altar, turned to him and said, “Turn the light on son, turn the light on.” He said he knew in a minute that his grandmother, as always, knew he was there.