Heaven Is For Real

I spent the weekend in the middle of nowhere. No really. The middle of nowhere. And in the woods in the middle of nowhere God found us and graciously poured out His Spirit on a sweet group of women gathered to seek His face.  He is so good to us.

And because we were in the middle of nowhere, I was tucked into a little rustic cabin complete with a warm comforter and hot cup of tea, pampered by these generous women who themselves slept on rock-hard bunks and stumbled through the woods to their restroom. I was humbled by them and blessed. Thank you.

So in the quiet, the stillness, the crisp, cold air of 5,000 foot-elevation, I sat along the creek and let the sun warm my face. I pulled back the curtains of the cabin and sat and stared at the  trees, rising to heaven, sunlight dancing on their needles and branches.  I taught and prayed and prepared and we sang and played and laughed and cried. And I had the luxury of an early bedtime with no housework to do and no meals to prep for the next day and no monkeys to tuck into bed. So I pulled out a little yellow book, Heaven Is For Real, and read the whole thing cover to cover before nestling down into my warm bed.

Wow.

It’s a quick read, one that you can just buy and then pass along to someone else. But it’s worth it. Four-year-old Colton Bumpo, in a brink-of-death experience, gets a glimpse of heaven and his report is nothing short of astonishing.

It’s exactly what the Bible says.

What’s amazing about the story is that Colton reports things in 4-year-old terms, without the guile or natural screening that we old folks tend to have. The first thing he notices was that Jesus has “markers”.  His parents couldn’t figure it out until they realized he was referring to the very clear “red marker marks” on Jesus hands and feet. His wounds.

Dozens of facts validate Colton’s findings. He was able to see and know exactly what his parents were doing during his surgery, when he was under anesthesia and in a different room. He perfectly identifies a grandfather who he meets in heaven, who he had never met on earth, identifies the grandfather from a picture taken of him when he was 29, since “there are no old people in heaven.”

What’s remarkable is that everything Colton shared, in his simple child-like way, lines up exactly with Scripture. And my favorite part:

“Colton, why did Jesus die on the cross.”

“Jesus said he died on the cross so we could go be with his Dad.”

Yup. That just about sums it up, amen?

Personally, it touched me by drawing me back to a simple childlike faith. As much as I love to study and teach and learn and grow, and I think that the Bible can keep us beautifully busy studying the glorious riches of theology, what it all boils down to is a greater-increasing love for Jesus.

Perspective.

The perspective of knowing that heaven is for real and it is good. That we will know each other and recognize each other. That Jesus will be the most beautiful thing we have ever seen, and His eyes will captivate our hearts.

It simplifies our evangelistic message, yes? Do you know Jesus?

I am so thankful to have spent the weekend with a sweet group of women who simply love Jesus. They don’t complicate it, they just live it. And I am so thankful to have this taste of heaven from dear little Colton Burpo. I believe his message is one of hope. Check it out and be encouraged.

Thanks for reading.