“Is Mr. Appleby Really In The Cemetery?”

A canopy of brilliant stars hung over the quiet summer's earth. Only the lonesome howl of a lonely neighborhood dog shattered the silence. Eventually, even that sound gave way to the steady buzzing of locusts. Five-year-old Benjamin and his father lay on their backs in the middle of a dewy meadow, gazing upward at the starry heavens. It was a weekly ritual both enjoyed -- a quiet time of solitude and fellowship for father and son. Suddenly the quiet was broken when Ben turned to his father and bluntly asked, "Which star does God live on?"

"I don't think that God lives on a star," his father replied patiently. "God lives in Heaven."

Ben thought about that for a moment. Then he said, "Where is Heaven?"

"I think Heaven is all around us."

Ben sat up and looked around. "I don't see it."

"You can't see it. But it's there just the same. And God's all around us, too."

A troubled look came over Ben's face. "I can't see God, either."

"You can't see God, unless He wants you to." Ben's father paused, then he said, "Why all these sudden questions about God and Heaven?"

"Well, when Mr. Appleby, our school janitor, died, Jenny McPherson asked Miss Banner whether he was in Heaven."

"And what did your teacher say?"

"She said that Mr. Appleby WAS IN the cemetery."

Ben's father frowned. "That was her answer?"

"Uh, huh. Then we went to lunch."

"So what to you think, Ben? Is Mr. Appleby in the cemetery or in Heaven?"

"Well, he's in the cemetery all right. I saw him when we went to his funeral. He was in his coffin and I don't think he climbed out or anything."

Ben's father stifled a laugh. Ben continued sadly. "I miss Mr. Appleby."

"Why?" his father asked.

"Because, he was good to us. He always stopped what he was doing and talked to us. And he taught us about Jesus in Sunday School."

"Mr. Appleby taught me about Jesus, too, when I was your age. He taught Sunday School for many years and never missed a Sunday that I can remember. I also know the preacher relied on Mr. Appleby to help him out. We have a very small church and can't afford an assistant minister. Whenever someone was sick, Mr. Appleby was right there. Remember last year when you were in bed for a week with that roaring case of the flu?"

Ben nodded. "He brought me a book."

"So, what do you remember that Mr. Appleby taught you about Jesus?"

"He taught us about when Jesus was born and how He loved all the little children."

"And...?"

Ben thought for a moment. Then he smiled and said, "And about how if we believed in Him we would all go to Heaven."

"That's what Mr. Appleby taught me, too. And I've remembered all these years. I've always been grateful to him for that."

"Me, too."

"So now, let me ask you the question again, Ben. Do you think that your teacher is right and that Mr. Appleby is really in the cemetery?"

"His body is there," Ben answered confidently. "But the rest of him is with Jesus."

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath
everlasting life.” (John 6:47)

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Ed Price spent 35 years in print and broadcast journalism. He is author of 15 books. After becoming an ordained minister he settled with his wife on a farm in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, to study God's word and to write. Ed and Patty are the parents of three girls, have one grandchild, and cater to the every whim of two spoiled cats.
© 2008 Ed Price - All rights reserved. Visit his website, The Loving Heart.

This column is used with permission.