"Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Young Colton Burpo will tell anyone Heaven is for real. But how can he be so sure? Because Colton has been there.

At the age of three, Colton was rushed into emergency surgery with a ruptured appendix. Not long after the surgery, the boy began sharing stories of floating above the operating table and seeing his dad, a Nebraska preacher, praying alone in a hospital room. In great detail, he recounted going to Heaven, sitting in Jesus's lap, and meeting John the Baptist. He even described seeing his miscarried sister, something his parents had never revealed to him.

In one particularly moving passage, Colton's father, Todd Burpo (the author of Heaven is for Real), recalled asking Colton what Jesus looked like. Colton responded, "Jesus has markers."

What are markers to a little kids?

Suddenly, I had it. "Colton, you said Jesus had markers. You mean like markers that you color with?" Colton nodded. "Yeah, like colors. He had colors on him."

"Like when you color a page?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what color are Jesus' markers?"

"Red, Daddy. Jesus has red markers on him."

At that moment, my throat nearly closed with tears as I suddenly understood what Colton was trying to say. Quietly, carefully, I said, "Colton, where are Jesus' markers?"

Without hesitation, he stood to his feet. He held out his right hand, palm up and pointed to the center of it with his left. Then he held out his left palm and pointed with his right hand. Finally, Colton bent over and pointed to the tops of both his feet.

"That's where Jesus' markers are, Daddy," he said.

This true story contains a simple message: Heaven really does exist, and it's a great place! Heaven is for Real is a convincing book written in simple prose, making it hard to put down. The beginning of the book keeps readers on the edge of their seat as Colton suffers from a mysterious ailment that nearly kills him. As the story progresses, readers will be touched by Colton's straightforward and unwaivering descriptions of Heaven and its inhabitants.

Though a long-time Christian, I approached this book with a certain amount of skepticism. However, I kept an open mind and was not disappointed for the most part. Several passages in Heaven is for Real brought me to tears. I found many aspects of Colton's experience to be backed by Scripture, and the book did a decent job of drawing those parallels. However, Heaven is for Real should not serve as a replacement for God's true Word.

I recommend this book to both believers and doubters. If nothing else, Heaven is for Real will force you to ponder the afterlife and consider where you might end up.

For more information about the book, visit the Heaven is for Real website.