Heaven Is For Real Book Signing
May 16, 2012 in: Book Reviews
My city had a brand new event for the National Day of Prayer this year. The mayor hosted a breakfast and presentation by Todd Burpo, author of the book Heaven Is For Real.
I read the book last summer and like millions of others, was deeply touched by the Burpo family’s story. When their son Colton was three years old, he had emergency surgery for appendicitis. Months after the surgery, he started talking about a visit to heaven. His dad, a bi-vocational pastor in a small Nebraska town, was skeptical at first, but everything Colton shared matched up with scripture.
The evening before the prayer breakfast, I bought a ticket to attend a book signing and concert, which was designed to help pay for the event. Although I stood in line for 45 minutes, Burpo ran out of time to sign all the books. For a little bit, I let my mind wander to what it would be like to be that popular as an author.
A sheriff’s deputy stood on guard because there have been threats against his life. Heaven Is For Real has been on the best-seller list for more than a year. It has sold 7 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. Burpo talked about the experience, saying he changed his prayers from “give me” to “use me.” It is amazing to think how many people have been touched by this family’s story. And how much difficulty they went through to reach this point. As a writer, I am reminded that the most powerful thing a person has to share is their own story and how many people can be reached when we do this simple thing.
The book has been criticized and some of it may be valid. However, I have no doubt that heaven is for real and sometimes God gives us glimpses into it, perhaps to inspire us and perhaps to build the faith of others.
As a children’s Sunday school teacher, I found the faith of a three-year-old convicting. The message that Colton brought back was that Jesus really loves the children. How can I do any less?
Have you read the book? What did you think about it?
~ Susan Mires
