Book Club Read: Heaven is For Real

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

 by Todd Burpo

I was invited to join a book club last week and this was the book that we were supposed to read.  I was hesitant at first because I generally don't read religious books and this book is written by a small-town pastor who claims that his 4 year old son tells stories of his visit to heaven during a near-death brush with a burst appendix. 

Of course, there are many skeptics out there. People wondering if the parents are exploiting their son and making up this tale. And as I read through this quick read, I found myself wanting to believe.  Some of the 'evidence' did seem to be convincing.  The boy's unwavering belief that he did in fact visit heaven and meet Jesus, his deceased grandfather and miscarried sister made it seem like there was no other way for him to know these things other than that his story is true.

Do I know that this is true? No... But do I want to believe it? Absolutely.  And even if you don't accept this story as true, it is a feel-good story that makes the idea of death a little less scary.