Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Heaven Is For Real

I just got done reading the book Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. If you haven’t read this book yet, do it!  It is awesome and really makes you think about where you are in your Faith.  In case you haven’t read the book, I am going to include the summary of the book that is written on the back of the book.

”When Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival.  What they weren’t expecting, though, was the stroy that emerged in the months that followed-a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy’s trip to heaven and back. 

Colton, not yet four years old, told his parents he left his body druing the surgery-and authenticated that claim by describing exactly what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital while he was being operated on.  He talked of visiting heaven and relayed stories todl to him by people he met there whom he had never met in life, sharing events that happened even before he was born.  He also astonished his parents with descriptions and obscure details about heaven that matched the Bible exactly, though he had not yet learned to read.

With disarming innocence and plainspoken boldness of a child, Colton tells of meeting long-departed family members.  He describes Jesus, the angels, how “really, really big” God is, and how much God loves us.  Retold by his father, but using Colton’s uniquely simple words, Heaven Is for Real offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, “Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses.”

Heaven is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe, like a child.”

One part of the book that has really touched me is when Colton talks about meeting his sister in Heaven.  Colton’s mom lost a baby before he was born.  Colton tells his mom that he met his big sister in Heaven, and even tells her what his sister looks like. He also says that his sister is okay, because God adoped her. His mom is overjoyed to learn that the baby they lost was a girl, and that she is in Heaven waiting for them.  When his mom asks him what his sisters name is, he says she doesn’t have one because they didn’t name her.  They didn’t name her because they didn’t know if the baby was a boy or a girl. 

The relief that this story gave to me was huge.  When I got pregnant with my kids, we started out with 5 babies.  We lost one of our babies around 8 weeks. I’ve always thought that my baby is in Heaven waiting for me, but for me, this book confirmed what I believe.  I have always wondered whether that baby is a boy or girl, what he/she would look like today, what he/she would act like and how our lives would be with another kiddo.  It’s amazing how even though I have never met that baby, I still miss him/her like crazy.  I think about her alot.  I am so excited to go to Heaven someday and meet my baby.  I know he or she is up there waiting with God for me to come and finally give him or her a name.  Lee and I have talked about naming that baby, but I always have a hard time deciding what name I would pick just because I don’t know if the baby was a boy or a girl.  Now I feel like someday I will have the chance to give the baby a name and I have the peace of knowing that until I do get there, my baby has been adopted by God and is happy waiting for me in Heaven.

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4 comments:

tschach said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
tschach said...

If remembering this baby is important to you, then it is not to late to choose a name.There are many neutral, neither boy nor girl names which are beautiful: Adrian, Dylan, Quinn (for 5 or one of five), Elisha, Raphael, .... (previous comment deleted in error).

Rachel said...

It is very important for us to remember our baby, and I do remember her everyday! Thank you for your input of names for our baby. We have thought of several names, and I have thought about picking a gender neutral name, but my husband and I have discussed this at great length and for certain reasons, we decided we didn't want to give the baby a name without knowing for sure if it is a boy or a girl. I am secure in the fact that I know I will be joining my baby in Heaven one day, and knowing this, I am ok with not giving her a name yet.
Rachel

tschach said...

Aren't angels, the serafim, creatures/beings, neither female nor male? Gabriel? Gabbi? Perhaps you cannot know all of the aspects of this child in addition to whether she is a boy or girl until you meet her/him. Anyway you have to be happy about how you imagine this child.
Tali