Read Online Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo, Sonja Burpo, Lynn Vincent, Colton Burpo - Free Book Online
Tags: Religión, General, Christian Theology, Inspirational, Christianity, Parapsychology, Body; Mind & Spirit, Christian Life, Religious aspects, heaven, Near-Death Experiences - Religious Aspects - Christianity, Near-Death Experience, Near-Death Experiences, Heaven - Christianity, Burpo; Colton, Eschatology
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usually with direct answers. If Colton really had a supernatural encounter, I certainly didnt want to ask him leading questions. We had taught Colton about our faith all his life. But if he had really seen Jesus and the angels, I wanted to become the student, not the teacher!
Sitting at my makeshift desk, I looked over at my son as he brought Spider-Man pouncing down on some nasty-looking creature from Star Wars. Hey, Colton, I said. Remember when we were in the car and you talked about sitting on Jesus lap?
Still on his knees, he looked up at me. Yeah.
Well, did anything else happen?
He nodded, eyes bright. Did you know that Jesus has a cousin? Jesus told me his cousin baptized him.
Yes, youre right, I said. The Bible says Jesus cousins name is John.
Mentally, I scolded myself: Dont offer information. Just let him talk . . .
I dont remember his name, Colton said happily, but he was really nice.
Heaven is for real
Page: 22
Just as I was processing the implications of my sons statementthat he had met John the BaptistColton spied a plastic horse among his toys and held it up for me to look at. Hey, Dad, did you know Jesus has a horse?
A horse?
Yeah, a rainbow horse. I got to pet him. Theres lots of colors.
Lots of colors? What was he talking about?
Where are there lots of colors, Colton?
In heaven, Dad. Thats where all the rainbow colors are.
That set my head spinning. Suddenly I realized that up until that point, Id been toying with the idea that maybe Colton had had some sort of divine visitation. Maybe Jesus and the angels had appeared to him in the hospital. Id heard of similar phenomena many times when people were as near death as Colton had been. Now it was dawning on me that not only was my son saying he had left his body; he was saying he had left the hospital!
You were in heaven? I managed to ask.
Well, yeah, Dad, he said, as if that fact should have been perfectly obvious.
I had to take a break. I stood and bounded up the stairs, picked up the phone, and dialed Sonjas cell. She picked up and I could hear music and singing in the background. Do you know what your son just said to me?!
What? she shouted over the noise.
He told me he met John the Baptist!
What?
I summarized the rest for her and could hear the amazement in her voice on the other end of the line.
She tried to press me for details, but the worship conference hall was too loud. Finally we had to give up. Call me tonight after dinner, okay? Sonja said. I want to know everything!
I hung up and leaned against the kitchen counter, processing. Slowly, I began to wrap my mind around the possibility that this was real. Had our son died and come back? The medical staff never gave any indication of that. But clearly, something had happened to Colton. He had authenticated that by telling us things he couldnt have known. It dawned on me that maybe wed been given a gift and that our job now was to unwrap it, slowly, carefully, and see what was inside.
Back downstairs, Colton was still on his knees, bombing aliens. I sat down beside him.
Hey, Colton, can I ask you something else about Jesus?
He nodded but didnt look up from his devastating attack on a little pile of X-Men.
Heaven is for real
Page: 23
Abruptly, Colton put down his toys and looked up at me. Jesus has markers.
What?
Markers, Daddy . . . Jesus has markers. And he has brown hair and he has hair on his face, he said, running his tiny palm around on his chin. I guessed that he didnt yet know the word beard. And his eyes . . . oh, Dad, his eyes are so pretty!
As he said this, Coltons face grew dreamy and far away, as if enjoying a particularly sweet memory.
What about his clothes?
Colton snapped back into the room and smiled at me. He had purple on. As he said this, Colton put his hand on his left shoulder, moved it across his body down to his right hip then repeated the motion. His clothes were white, but it was purple from here to
Sitting at my makeshift desk, I looked over at my son as he brought Spider-Man pouncing down on some nasty-looking creature from Star Wars. Hey, Colton, I said. Remember when we were in the car and you talked about sitting on Jesus lap?
Still on his knees, he looked up at me. Yeah.
Well, did anything else happen?
He nodded, eyes bright. Did you know that Jesus has a cousin? Jesus told me his cousin baptized him.
Yes, youre right, I said. The Bible says Jesus cousins name is John.
Mentally, I scolded myself: Dont offer information. Just let him talk . . .
I dont remember his name, Colton said happily, but he was really nice.
Heaven is for real
Page: 22
Just as I was processing the implications of my sons statementthat he had met John the BaptistColton spied a plastic horse among his toys and held it up for me to look at. Hey, Dad, did you know Jesus has a horse?
A horse?
Yeah, a rainbow horse. I got to pet him. Theres lots of colors.
Lots of colors? What was he talking about?
Where are there lots of colors, Colton?
In heaven, Dad. Thats where all the rainbow colors are.
That set my head spinning. Suddenly I realized that up until that point, Id been toying with the idea that maybe Colton had had some sort of divine visitation. Maybe Jesus and the angels had appeared to him in the hospital. Id heard of similar phenomena many times when people were as near death as Colton had been. Now it was dawning on me that not only was my son saying he had left his body; he was saying he had left the hospital!
You were in heaven? I managed to ask.
Well, yeah, Dad, he said, as if that fact should have been perfectly obvious.
I had to take a break. I stood and bounded up the stairs, picked up the phone, and dialed Sonjas cell. She picked up and I could hear music and singing in the background. Do you know what your son just said to me?!
What? she shouted over the noise.
He told me he met John the Baptist!
What?
I summarized the rest for her and could hear the amazement in her voice on the other end of the line.
She tried to press me for details, but the worship conference hall was too loud. Finally we had to give up. Call me tonight after dinner, okay? Sonja said. I want to know everything!
I hung up and leaned against the kitchen counter, processing. Slowly, I began to wrap my mind around the possibility that this was real. Had our son died and come back? The medical staff never gave any indication of that. But clearly, something had happened to Colton. He had authenticated that by telling us things he couldnt have known. It dawned on me that maybe wed been given a gift and that our job now was to unwrap it, slowly, carefully, and see what was inside.
Back downstairs, Colton was still on his knees, bombing aliens. I sat down beside him.
Hey, Colton, can I ask you something else about Jesus?
He nodded but didnt look up from his devastating attack on a little pile of X-Men.
Heaven is for real
Page: 23
Abruptly, Colton put down his toys and looked up at me. Jesus has markers.
What?
Markers, Daddy . . . Jesus has markers. And he has brown hair and he has hair on his face, he said, running his tiny palm around on his chin. I guessed that he didnt yet know the word beard. And his eyes . . . oh, Dad, his eyes are so pretty!
As he said this, Coltons face grew dreamy and far away, as if enjoying a particularly sweet memory.
What about his clothes?
Colton snapped back into the room and smiled at me. He had purple on. As he said this, Colton put his hand on his left shoulder, moved it across his body down to his right hip then repeated the motion. His clothes were white, but it was purple from here to
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