Little Lydia was humming and chatting, asking questions as she watched her mother set the table for dinner. How she loved that day because after church all the family came to have Sunday dinner at her house. She said, “Look, mama, my pretty blue dress, I haven’t gotten it dirty at all and Grandpa will say how pretty I look in it.”

Her Mother stopped what she was doing, sat down next to her little girl and looked her in the eyes and said, “Honey, Grandpa can’t come to dinner anymore. Remember we went to Grandpa’s funeral on Monday?”

Lydia, now four years old, said, “Oh, I know you said Grandpa is in heaven now but just pray and ask Jesus to let him come to dinner.”

Mother thought how important this moment was and how important her answer would be before responding to her little girl. Her answer became one of the most unique and wonderful traditions for the family.  She said, “Remember how many people got up at the funeral and told stories about Grandpa?”

“Yes,” Lydia said.

“And how many people we didn’t even know told story after story of how kind he was to come and fix their lights and never would take any money for it?” Lydia nodded to this.

“Grandpa, being a retired electrician, enjoyed helping people who needed a helping hand.  He would always say, after being asked ‘what ya been up to?,’ ‘Oh, just making some lights shine, but not as bright as the smiles I get in return.’”

Mother went on with Lydia’s answer. “Well Grandpa was such a good electrician he was given an important job in heaven. He has been honored with the big responsibility to turn on all the stars at night for God.”

And so the tradition was born that Lydia can go outside each night to see her Grandpa turn on the stars for God.

A priceless expression of love through a life lived well,

Chaplain Glory Bayer