Early this morning, you, my youngest grandson died. The words can be sugar coated that you "passed away," but the fact remains that you were taken from us far too soon. At first thought, it seems you were cheated out of a life, or were you?

Your Grandma will miss reading you Bible stories at bedtime when you sleep over with us, but now you can hear them straight from the saints who were involved.

I won't be able to teach you to ride a bike, but in Heaven there are no skinned knees or broken bones.

We won't have breakfast outings to McDonalds for pancakes, but in Heaven food doesn't really matter.

There won’t be any church programs, with you dressed up in a cotton beard and bathrobe, but you won’t have to play pretend saint where you are right there with them for eternity.

We won't be able to buy you Christmas gifts, but in Heaven you will be celebrating forever with the Christ of Christmas.

I will miss the first day you wear an oversized wrist watch, pretending to tell time, but now you are in Heaven, a place that is timeless.

I will miss the thrill of hearing you pray for the first time, but today you have already talked to Jesus, face to face.

We will miss you, but in Heaven you have already met all the family who loved you, and have died before you.

When you are out, your Mom and Dad won’t have to wait up for you, because you are already home.

I will miss teaching you the difference between a quarter and a nickel, but when you are walking on streets of gold, our coins won’t have any value.

There won’t be any bullies in Heaven, but if someone doesn’t treat you right, tell your best friend Jesus.

You’ll miss the anxiety of not knowing the answers in school, because you have already graduated to glory!

We will miss teaching you about Jesus, but you have already learned more about Him in an instant than any of us here will ever know.

We will miss not having you show off your new school clothes, but you have already been given a royal robe that is beyond anything your parents could imagine for you.

I will miss the questions on our grandpa outings, such as, "Do bugs have lips?" or "Which sin is the worse?"

Yes, my little buddy, you will be greatly missed by the people who love you here, but all things considered, I do not want to be selfish by hanging on to you, when God has another perfect plan for you. Keep watching Heaven’s gates, because one day, in God’s perfect time, we’ll all be there with you, for all eternity.

Rejoicing that you are safe in the arms of Jesus,
Your Grandpa

by Bob Steinkamp

In Memory of Tyler Jacob Lassen
December 30, 2005
(Our infant grandson)

"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." II Corinthians 5:1