God is real. And God is big. Those were my take-home messages from Heaven is for Real, things I daily need to be reminded of. Heaven is for Real is the true story of three-year-old Colton Burpo, who almost died when his appendix burst. While he was having surgery, he got a three-minute glimpse of heaven that included an awful lot of experiences. Over the next several years, he would casually drop some of these observations into conversations with his parents. His father, Todd Burpo, put these conversations on paper, and this book was born.
I read this book in one evening. It’s written simply and is easy to read. The story of Colton really pulled me in, and I was eager to see what he would describe next. He talks about the colors in heaven and the people he meets there, including a sister who had been miscarried. Every observation is given matter-of-factly. Colton’s pure, childlike faith shines through.
I made a point of not reading other reviews (especially theological ones) before I read this book. I could just see theologians of all varieties tearing it apart. And while I don’t take Colton’s knowledge of heaven as the Gospel truth in every detail, I don’t doubt that he really had this experience. I appreciated how many Bible verses were included to compare his observations to. Occasionally it seemed to be a stretch to apply a particular one, but for the most part, what Colton saw lined up with what the Bible says.
Colton believes whole-heartedly and without wavering in the truth of God’s existence and in the boundless capacity of His love. Faith doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it takes a three-year-old to remind us of that.
I read this book in one evening. It’s written simply and is easy to read. The story of Colton really pulled me in, and I was eager to see what he would describe next. He talks about the colors in heaven and the people he meets there, including a sister who had been miscarried. Every observation is given matter-of-factly. Colton’s pure, childlike faith shines through.
I made a point of not reading other reviews (especially theological ones) before I read this book. I could just see theologians of all varieties tearing it apart. And while I don’t take Colton’s knowledge of heaven as the Gospel truth in every detail, I don’t doubt that he really had this experience. I appreciated how many Bible verses were included to compare his observations to. Occasionally it seemed to be a stretch to apply a particular one, but for the most part, what Colton saw lined up with what the Bible says.
Colton believes whole-heartedly and without wavering in the truth of God’s existence and in the boundless capacity of His love. Faith doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it takes a three-year-old to remind us of that.
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