You might have heard of “Heaven Is for Real” by a small town pastor named Todd Burpo. It is a New York Times Bestseller and has already impacted over a million people.
The story revolves Todd’s son, Colton, who underwent a life-saving surgery back in 2003 and awoke from it to tell his family what he had encountered while he was under anesthesia. At just 3-years-old, Colton told vivid and detailed descriptions of Jesus, Heaven, and the people that he met there. He knew about things happening with his parents while he was in surgery, he knew about things from the past and he told stories about what would happen in the future.
A miscarriage had devastated the Burpo family before Colton was born, and being only 3, Colton had never known about it, much less ever been told what a miscarriage was. After his trip to Heaven, however, the little boy surprised his parents one night by telling them how he had met his older sister, who had “died in mommy’s tummy”.
The descriptions that he had about Jesus, Heaven and the angels were also very similar to details that are documented by other children who have claimed to have gone to Heaven.
After Todd started preaching to his congregation about his son’s miraculous experience, people told him that he needed to write a book. Some of Colton’s experiences had really impacted those who heard his story and brought hope to many people struggling with pregnancy or doubts with God.
I have never read a book that has touched me so much. I want to tell everyone about it and encourage you to go out and find it. It’s a short read but it’s very convincing and inspiring.
Do you have a favorite Christian book? What is it?