Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo is a gripping book told in the candid voice of the little boy's pastor-dad. Four-year-old Colton Burpo experienced heaven firsthand while undergoing life-threatening surgery. In bits and pieces over the next several months, the story of Colton's heavenly visit comes out, much to his parents astonishment. What makes the book especially fascinating for skeptics like me is that Colton's dad, a Wesleyan pastor, is a skeptic, too! At least, he questions his son closely, matching up Colton's answers with Scripture. Burpo discovers that Colton's descriptions match Scripture passages that talk about heaven, passages that would be beyond a four-year-old's depth. Colton's confidence in what he's seen is unshakable: comforting a dying man, Colton cheerfully exclaims, "Don't worry; the first person you'll see is Jesus!"
Heaven is for Real is a book that people will be talking about for some time. Seeing heaven through the eyes of a child and absorbing its reality as shared in his innocent, honest voice leaves an indelible impression on the reader. I, for one, came away encouraged and renewed in my certainty that heaven is for real! What a great hope we have as believers in Jesus Christ! Another great take-away is that Jesus loves little children, as Colton repeatedly emphasized While I know and believe these truths, there's something refreshing and soul-stirring about hearing them effectively preached to us 'from the mouth of a babe.' I'm so glad I received this book as a complimentary copy for review from Tyndale House. You'll be glad you read it, too.
