Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent
Published by Thomas Nelson; Original edition
Publication Date: November 2, 2010
ISBN-10: 0849946158
ISBN-13: 978-0849946158
Pages: 163
Review Copy from: Borrowed
Edition: TPB
My Rating: 4
Synopsis:
A young boy emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven.
Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn’t know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.
Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how “reaaally big” God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit “shoots down power” from heaven to help us.
Told by the father, but often in Colton’s own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.
My Thoughts and Opinion:
I have wanted to read this book for quite awhile and finally had the chance to. I also wanted to read it with an open mind, not having my own beliefs interfere. Was I able to? Did I find comfort? Or did I find controversy? Was it believable?
A friend called me after watching the movie, telling me I had to see it. However, I would much rather read a book first then watch the movie, which I explained this to her. The next thing, she is at my door with the book. Perfect! I read the book in 2 sittings.
As the synopsis states, the story is about a little boy who is on the brink of death and brought into surgery. The parents, which the father is a Pastor, pray, make deals with God, ask for a prayer chain from his congregation and sit and wait for the doctor to come out of surgery with the news. Their prayers are answered. However, a few months later, they will be learning more about their faith and beliefs from their young son. How can this 4 year old know about the things he starts to talk about?
Colton starts describing what Heaven looks like, what Jesus looks like, meeting relatives that he has never met but was with while in Heaven, even how long he was there.
I am Catholic and have always believed, and witnessed, many, many things that were mentioned in this story. Like Colton’s dad, I received, which was witnessed, a “shoots down power” from the Holy Spirit.
Another thing that Colton told his parents was that he “met his sister”
pg 94 I have two sisters. You had a baby die in your tummy, didn’t you?
For me, this brought great comfort. I lost a baby 32 years ago, and to this day, wonder if it was a son or a daughter.
I not only enjoyed reading this book, but it emphasized what I have always believed. There is a God and there is a Heaven. If you are Spiritual person, I highly recommend this book because you will experience, through Colton, that we are never alone.
