Heaven is for Real: Book Review

I first came upon the book Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent on Pinterest. I clicked to find out more about the book and became instantly hooked. So I ended up putting it on my Christmas List, and luckily enough for me, my brother bought it for me! I was thrilled and couldn't wait to start it. I finished the book in less than 24 hours. It was a quick read, but a powerful one indeed. Not only does it put life in perspective, it also puts dying right out in the open for all to see, even if you may not want to. Upon reading the first couple of chapters when Colton is sick and the parents are worried, I can't help but wonder what his hospitalization would have been like if a Child Life Specialist was there to help normalize the experience and help his family through it. Though the power of prayer seemed to help, I think extra support could have been beneficial.

Synopsis from Barnes & Noble:

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 Review:

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. A little boy who, in surgery, dies and visits heaven, only to come back and tell his parents things that they had never told him! It's remarkable really, and though some people won't believe it, I wholeheartedly think it's true. I know that children have huge imaginations, but there are some things that you can't just make up. Colton knew exactly where his parents were and what they were doing when he was under anesthesia getting surgery. I mean that's not something his parents would have told him right after he woke up. That and the many things listed in the synopsis made me believe. It's okay if you don't believe it though, I think it really depends on where you are in your life and your attitude while reading this life-changing book. 

God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and even Satan are among the individuals that Colton meets in Heaven, a place filled with spectacular colors and lost loved ones. The part that really blew me away began when Colton described what Jesus looked like in Heaven. Every time his parents saw a picture of Jesus in a book or online, they would ask him if this one was Jesus, and Colton would quickly say no and come up with something that was different about him, until finally he saw a painting a little girl had done, a little girl who had said she met Jesus as well. The book even includes the painting, and it is amazingly beautiful. The only thing that bothered me was the Final Battle, which ends up destroying the world... a bit scary if you ask me. 

Seeing as how Colton met loved ones who had passed away, it makes you think there is someone greater than us looking down on us and guiding us... that our loved ones are safe, and that we will see them again someday. It's a powerful read, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read, with a deep meaning, or if you're in a sad place in your life - this book has a way of making you think that in the end, everything is going to be alright. 

My Rating: 5 Stars