What does heaven look like?
Are we really reunited with our loved ones, whom have sadly departed from earth?
Is heaven really real?
These are a mere handful of questions that I often struggle with, even in my strong Christian faith. The Bible tells us of the glorious and eternal life that is awaiting our arrival, yet I often find it difficult to understand this complex concept of a new world that is not truly known to man. Or is it?
When browsing through the New York Times Bestsellers list, a few months back, I came upon a book entitled:
Heaven is for Real:
A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
written by Todd Burpo
The title instantly grasped my attention, and pulled me in. I found myself searching for excerpts from the text, reader's reviews, and availability at local libraries. I immediately requested the book from two local libraries, and to my dismay found that I was placed on a waiting list.
A long waiting list.
After relocating to a new city, I was forced to remove myself from the waiting lists at home, and "try again" with a new library. I slowly felt the reader's grudge settling in. In all honesty, no reader wants to wait for well over 3 months to read a new and intriguing title (unless, of course, you purchase the book from a local store). I happily received the book after being on the list for a mere week of time.
---
In this novel, a young boy, Colton, faces a ruptured appendix, which results in the grueling surgery necessary to save his life. Despite medical opinions, Colton miraculously survived the surgery and transformed into an active and rambunctious boy. Several months after Colton's near death experience, he tells his parents of the "experience" that he had while in surgery -- his travels to heaven and back.
It was simply astounding to read about this young child's vision of what heaven is like. Particularly, I found it most interesting to "understand" how Jesus appears to the human eye. In the majority of illustrations found in our society, Jesus has long, flowing, dark brown hair, a crown of thorns, a rugged beard, eyes of despair, and a face as fragile as a porcelain doll. However, Colton focused his description on the beauty of the Lord's eyes, and often said "And his eyes ... oh, Dad, his eyes are so pretty!"
Jesus' rainbow horse.
His angel wings.
The sister he never knew that he had.
Pops.
It was simply astounding to read about this young child's vision of what heaven is like. Particularly, I found it most interesting to "understand" how Jesus appears to the human eye. In the majority of illustrations found in our society, Jesus has long, flowing, dark brown hair, a crown of thorns, a rugged beard, eyes of despair, and a face as fragile as a porcelain doll. However, Colton focused his description on the beauty of the Lord's eyes, and often said "And his eyes ... oh, Dad, his eyes are so pretty!"
| "Prince of Peace" Our Savior's appearance -- according to Colton |
So much of what Colton shared aligns clearly with the stories found in the Bible, sermons from church, and conversations with fellow Christians. It is nearly impossible to NOT believe the things that this young boy shared with his parents. How can a child simply make-up a story from beginning to end, with such vivid detail, without truly experiencing a trip to heaven?
I don't think that this book, or any other book for that matter, can persuade someone into believing that there is a place called heaven. (Not that I felt that that was the purpose of this book at all.) You must trust God and take the "leap of faith" in knowing that He has created a home that is beyond human comprehension and understanding. While we may never understand His reasoning, it is comforting to know that we have an eternal home to look forward to -- one that is a million times better than the one that we are living in now.
And yes, I do believe that heaven is really real.
I don't think that this book, or any other book for that matter, can persuade someone into believing that there is a place called heaven. (Not that I felt that that was the purpose of this book at all.) You must trust God and take the "leap of faith" in knowing that He has created a home that is beyond human comprehension and understanding. While we may never understand His reasoning, it is comforting to know that we have an eternal home to look forward to -- one that is a million times better than the one that we are living in now.
And yes, I do believe that heaven is really real.
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